Dorudon fossil map
Where fossils of Dorudon 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 | 41.03–33.9 million years ago (Bartonian to Priabonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Basilosauridae |
| Named by | Gibbes 1845 |
| Fossil records | 122 occurrences at 33 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Egypt, Western Sahara, United States, Italy, New Zealand, Jordan |
| Rock formations | Birket Qarun, Gehannam, Samlat, txn:42936, Moncks Corner Greensand, Moodys Branch |
About Dorudon
Dorudon ("spear-tooth") is a genus of extinct basilosaurid ancient whales that lived alongside Basilosaurus 41.03 to 33.9 million years ago in the Eocene. It was a small whale, with D. atrox measuring 5 metres (16 ft) long and weighing 1–2.2 metric tons (1.1–2.4 short tons). Dorudon lived in warm seas around the world and fed on small fish and mollusks. Fossils have been found along the former shorelines of the Tethys Sea in present-day Egypt and Pakistan, as well as in the United States, New Zealand and Western Sahara.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Dorudon (revision 1378605769), 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: Q131137.
