Cainotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Cainotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 56–5.333 million years ago (Ypresian to Messinian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Cainotheriidae |
| Named by | Bravard 1828 |
| Fossil records | 92 occurrences at 40 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal |
| Rock formations | txn:67948, Brackwater Molasse, Upper Freshwater Molasse, Córcoles, Miocene Lower Continental Complex, Lower Freshwater Molasse |
About Cainotherium
Cainotherium is an extinct genus of rabbit-sized prehistoric even-toed ungulates. These herbivores lived in Europe from the Eocene until the early Miocene. The skeletal anatomy of these hare-like animals suggest they, along with other members of Cainotheriidae, belong to the artiodactyl suborder Tylopoda, together with oreodonts and modern camelids. Species had cloven hooves, similar to those of bovids or deer, although the shape and length of the limbs suggests that the living animals moved by leaping, like a rabbit. The shape of the teeth also suggests a rabbit-like diet of nibbled vegetation, while the size of the auditory bulla and shape of the brain suggest that it would have had good senses of hearing and smell.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cainotherium (revision 1268566972), 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: Q2393986.
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