Cavia fossil map
Where fossils of Cavia have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 5.333 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Caviidae |
| Named by | Pallas 1766 |
| Fossil records | 62 occurrences at 27 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Italy, Taiwan, Somalia, Myanmar, Mexico |
| Rock formations | txn:42108, Botucatu, Sopas, TafĂ del Valle, Andahuala, San Andres |
About Cavia
Cavia is a genus in the subfamily Caviinae that contains the rodents commonly known as the guinea pigs or cavies. The best-known species in this genus is the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, a meat animal in South America and a common household pet outside that continent.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cavia (revision 1377638072), 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: Q286088.
