Cygnus fossil map
Where fossils of Cygnus 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 | 12.8 million years ago to the present (Serravallian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Named by | Garsault 1764 |
| Fossil records | 71 occurrences at 62 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malta, Greece, Portugal … |
| Rock formations | txn:39624, Hagerman, Khapry, Yorktown, Cromer Forest Bed, Hillgrove |
About Cygnus
Swans are birds of the genus Cygnus within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae, forming the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae. They are the largest waterfowl and are often among the largest flighted birds in their range.
There are six living and many extinct species of swan; in addition, there is a species known as the coscoroba swan, which is no longer considered one of the true swans. Swans usually mate for life, although separation sometimes occurs, particularly following nesting failure, and if a mate dies, the remaining swan will take up with another. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Swan (revision 1380087364), 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: Q29564928.
