Catopsalis fossil map
Where fossils of Catopsalis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 66 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 66 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 | 66–57.5 million years ago (Danian to Thanetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Taeniolabididae |
| Named by | Cope 1882 |
| Fossil records | 58 occurrences at 18 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada |
| Rock formations | Hell Creek, Porcupine Hills, Nacimiento, Ravenscrag, Fort Union, North Horn |
About Catopsalis
Catopsalis is a genus of extinct mammal from the Paleocene of North America. This animal was a relatively large member of the extinct order of Multituberculata. Most multituberculates were much smaller.
At one time, the genus was also formally reported from the upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. However, that material was subsequently referred to the genera of Djadochtatherium and Catopsbaatar. Catopsalis is within the suborder of Cimolodonta and a member of the superfamily Taeniolabidoidea.
Recent research suggests that "Catopsalis" is actually a paraphyletic assemblage, and one species, C. joyneri, has been moved to its own genus, Valenopsalis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Catopsalis (revision 1368550171), 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: Q640821.
