Desmostylus fossil map
Where fossils of Desmostylus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 33.9–2.58 million years ago (Rupelian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Desmostylidae |
| Named by | Marsh 1888 |
| Fossil records | 228 occurrences at 103 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Japan, Russia, Mexico |
| Rock formations | Temblor, Briones, Monterey, txn:43291, Fujina, Astoria |
About Desmostylus
Desmostylus is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammal of the family Desmostylidae living from the Early Miocene and went extinct during the Late Miocene from 23.03 to 11 Ma.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Desmostylus (revision 1370984418), 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: Q2469946.
