Corvus fossil map
Where fossils of Corvus 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04 million years ago to the present (Aquitanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Corvidae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 270 occurrences at 143 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Greece, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, France, Bahamas, Australia, Romania … |
| Rock formations | txn:39445, Hillgrove, Wicomico, Nubia, Yorktown, Palos Verdes Sand |
About Corvus
Corvus is a widely distributed genus of passerine birds ranging from medium-sized to large-sized in the family Corvidae. It includes species commonly known as crows, ravens, and rooks. The species commonly encountered in Europe are the carrion crow, hooded crow, common raven, and rook; those discovered later were named "crow" or "raven" chiefly on the basis of their size, crows generally being smaller. The genus name is Latin for "raven".
The 46 or so members of this genus occur on all continents except South America, Antarctica and several islands. The genus Corvus makes up a third of the species in the family Corvidae. The members appear to have evolved in Asia from the corvid stock, which had evolved in Australia. The collective name for a group of crows is a "flock" or a "murder".
In 2002, research found that some crow species are capable of not only tool use, but also tool construction. Crows are now considered to be among the world's most intelligent animals with an encephalization quotient equal to that of many non-human primates.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Corvus (revision 1380230376), 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: Q43365.
