Cambaytherium fossil map
Where fossils of Cambaytherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 56–48.07 million years ago (Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Named by | Bajpai et al. 2005 |
| Fossil records | 22 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | India |
| Rock formations | Cambay Shale |
About Cambaytherium
Cambaytherium is an extinct genus of placental mammals in the family Cambaytheriidae. It existed during the early Eocene approximately 55 million years ago on the Indian subcontinent. Fossils of Cambaytherium are known exclusively from the Cambay Shale Formation in western India and comprise over 200 specimens, including skulls, teeth, and postcranial elements. The genus and family were first described scientifically in 2005. Initially, placement at the base of the odd-toed ungulates was preferred, though some researchers suggested affinity with elephants within Tethytheria. Recent systematic analyses, based on abundant material, position it not at the base of odd-toed ungulates but in close relation to them. The genus's discovery on the subcontinent, then an island drifting northward toward Asia, offers insights into the origin and early evolution of the order Perissodactyla, hypothesized to have arisen in Asia.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cambaytherium (revision 1369611745), 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: Q18575566.
