Desmana fossil map
Where fossils of Desmana have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 23.04–0.0117 million years ago (Aquitanian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Talpidae |
| Named by | Guldenstaedt 1777 |
| Fossil records | 130 occurrences at 45 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Hungary, Romania, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland, Netherlands, Russia, France, Austria … |
| Rock formations | txn:67887, Valdeganga, Spilia, Ravin de Ratavoux, Reuver clay, Khapry |
About Desmana
Desmana is a genus of mole that contains a single living species, the Russian desman (Desmana moschata). A number of fossil species are known from throughout Eurasia.
The oldest species is Desmana marci from the earliest Pliocene of Spain. It was probably derived from earlier moles of the genus Archaeodesmana. D. marci likely gave rise to D. verestchagini, who may have given rise to younger species such as the living desman.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Desmana (revision 1314375399), 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: Q15114089.
,_Natural_History_Museum,_London,_Mammals_Gallery.JPG){kind=link}