Didelphis fossil map
Where fossils of Didelphis 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Didelphidae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 136 occurrences at 58 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Uruguay, Peru, Panama |
| Rock formations | txn:39945, Chapadmalal, Sopas, Tacubaya, Chapala, Wicomico |
About Didelphis
Didelphis is a genus of New World marsupials. The six species in the genus Didelphis, commonly known as Large American opossums, are members of the opossum order, Didelphimorphia.
The genus Didelphis is composed of cat-sized omnivorous species, which can be recognized by their prehensile tails and their tendency to feign death when cornered. The largest species, the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), is the only marsupial to be found north of Mexico.
The Virginia opossum has opposable toes on their two back feet.
One of the synapomorphies of this genus is the hypertrophied spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae, which also interlock. As a result, this prevents any movement of the neck. The purpose of this is not yet fully understood.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Didelphis (revision 1376041700), 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: Q287881.
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