Chalicotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Chalicotherium 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 | Ice Age & later mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–0.129 million years ago (Aquitanian to Chibanian) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Chalicotheriidae |
| Named by | Kaup 1833 |
| Fossil records | 40 occurrences at 38 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, China, Germany, Austria, Pakistan, Spain, Tajikistan, Georgia, Kenya, Greece … |
| Rock formations | txn:43076, Chinji, Nagri, Gusar suite, Tavildara, Xianshuihe |
About Chalicotherium
Chalicotherium (from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khálix), meaning "gravel", and θηρίον (theríon), meaning "beast") is an extinct genus of perissodactyls in the family Chalicotheriidae. It inhabited Europe and Asia from the Early Miocene to the Late Miocene, 23.0–5.3 million years ago. Like other chalicotheriids, the species was an unusual herbivore with elongated, clawed forelimbs and shorter, more robust weight-bearing hindlimbs.
The type species, Chalicotherium goldfussi, was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1833 from Late Miocene deposits in Europe. When French naturalist George Cuvier received a large, cleft claw from Eppelheim, Germany, he mistakenly identified it as the toe bone of a giant pangolin.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Chalicotherium (revision 1380774700), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q133349.
