Daouitherium fossil map
Where fossils of Daouitherium 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 | 56–48.07 million years ago (Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Numidotheriidae |
| Named by | Gheerbrant and Sudre 2002 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Morocco |
| Rock formations | txn:98249 |
About Daouitherium
Daouitherium ("Sidi Daoui beast" from the name of the site where it was discovered) is an extinct genus of early proboscideans (a group including modern elephants and their extinct relatives) that lived during the early Eocene (Ypresian stage) some 55 million years ago in North Africa.
Remains of this animal, fragments of jaws and teeth, have been found in the Ouled Abdoun Basin in Morocco. It is estimated to have weighed between 80 and 170 kg (180 and 370 lb), making it one of the earliest large mammals known from Africa and one of the oldest known proboscideans. Another estimate gives a weight of 200 kg (440 lb).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Daouitherium (revision 1309367337), 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: Q137458.
