Calippus fossil map
Where fossils of Calippus 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 | 23.04–1.4 million years ago (Aquitanian to Calabrian) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Equidae |
| Named by | (Matthew and Stirton 1930) |
| Fossil records | 372 occurrences at 79 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica |
| Rock formations | txn:42984, Ash Hollow, Valentine, Goliad, Peace River, Fleming |
About Calippus
Calippus is an extinct genus of hoofed mammals in the horse family (Equidae), known from the Middle Miocene through the Early Pliocene of North and Central America. Fossils have been found in the Central United States and the Eastern United States, ranging south to Honduras. These equines had high crowned teeth and a quadrangular, wide muzzle, and were small compared to their contemporary relatives, with C. elachistus weighing 49 kg, C. cerasinus weighing 102 kg, 132 kg for C. theristes and 73 kg for C. mccartyi.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Calippus (mammal) (revision 1351404222), 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: Q28549496.
