Behemotops fossil map
Where fossils of Behemotops have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 30 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 33.9–23.04 million years ago (Rupelian to Chattian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Named by | Domning et al. 1986 |
| Fossil records | 10 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Japan, Canada |
| Rock formations | Pysht, Morawan, Sooke |
About Behemotops
Behemotops (from the Biblical monster Behemoth, by Linnaeus and others believed to be a hippo) is an extinct genus of herbivorous marine mammal. It lived from the Early Oligocene (Rupelian) through the Late Oligocene (33.9 mya—23 Mya), existing for approximately 10.9 million years. It is the most primitive known desmostylian, believed to be close to the ancestry of all other desmostylians.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Behemotops (revision 1377959338), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q4880763.
