Diplobune fossil map
Where fossils of Diplobune have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 37.71–27.3 million years ago (Priabonian to Rupelian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Anoplotheriidae |
| Named by | Rutimeyer 1862 |
| Fossil records | 32 occurrences at 14 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Portugal |
| Rock formations | txn:57550, Bembridge Limestone, Coja |
About Diplobune
Diplobune (Ancient Greek: διπλοῦς (double) + βουνός (hill) meaning "double hill") is an extinct genus of Palaeogene artiodactyls belonging to the family Anoplotheriidae. It was endemic to Europe and lived from the late Eocene to the early Oligocene. The genus was first erected as a subgenus of Dichobune by Ludwig Rütimeyer in 1862 based on his hypothesis of the taxon being a transitional form between "Anoplotherium" secundaria, previously erected by Georges Cuvier in 1822, and Dichobune. He based the genus etymology off of the two-pointed pillarlike shapes of the lower molars, which had since been a diagnosis of it. However, in 1870, Diplobune was elevated to genus rank by Oscar Fraas, who recognized that Diplobune was a distinct genus related to Anoplotherium and not Dichobune. After several revisions of the anoplotheriids, there are currently four known species of which D. minor is the type species.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Diplobune (revision 1378607699), 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: Q56328671.
