Dromaius fossil map
Where fossils of Dromaius 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 15.98–0.0117 million years ago (Langhian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Casuariidae |
| Named by | Vieillot 1816 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Australia |
| Rock formations | txn:39286, Waite, Mampuwordu Sands, Tirari, Camfield Beds, Chinchilla Sand |
About Dromaius
Dromaius (from Ancient Greek δρομαῖος; "swift one", "runner") is a genus of ratite present in Australia. There is one extant species, Dromaius novaehollandiae, commonly known as the emu.
In his original 1816 description of the emu, Louis Pierre Vieillot used two generic names; first Dromiceius, then Dromaius a few pages later. Which label is correct has been a point of contention ever since; the latter is more correctly formed, but the convention in taxonomy is that the first name given stands, unless it is clearly a typographical error, as argued by W.B. Alexander. For names published on the same day, or in the same publication, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature states that both names have equal precedence, and that the Principle of First Reviser (Article 24.2 ) determines which name is to be used. Most modern publications, including those of the Australian government, use Dromaius, with Dromiceius mentioned as an alternative spelling. Misspellings of both forms by later authors have produced further synonyms. The Dromiceius spelling was the basis for Dale Russell's 1972 naming of the dinosaur Dromiceiomimus.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Dromaius (revision 1379919737), 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: Q858264.
