Chiromyoides fossil map
Where fossils of Chiromyoides 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 | 63.4–48.07 million years ago (Danian to Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Plesiadapidae |
| Named by | Stehlin 1916 |
| Fossil records | 74 occurrences at 26 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, France, United Kingdom |
| Rock formations | Fort Union, txn:40733, Black Peaks, DeBeque, Suffolk Pebble Beds, Wasatch |
About Chiromyoides
Chiromyoides is a small plesiadapid primatomorph that is known for its unusually robust upper and lower incisors, deep dentary, and comparatively small cheek teeth. Species of Chiromyoides are known from the middle Tiffanian through late Clarkforkian North American Land Mammal Ages (NALMA) of western North America, and from late Paleocene deposits in the Paris Basin, France.
The unique dental morphology of Chiromyoides has led several authors to propose a specialized ecological role for the genus. Gingerich (1976) hypothesized that Chiromyoides was a specialist on seeds, while Szalay and Delson (1979) and Beard et al. (2020) suggested that it may have consumed wood-boring insects in a manner similar to the aye-aye.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Chiromyoides (revision 1380511450), 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: Q85752148.
