Dusignathus fossil map
Where fossils of Dusignathus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 11.63–2.58 million years ago (Tortonian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Odobenidae |
| Named by | Kellogg 1927 |
| Fossil records | 24 occurrences at 11 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Mexico |
| Rock formations | Purisima, Drakes Bay, Almejas, San Diego, Wilson Grove |
About Dusignathus
Dusignathus is an extinct genus of walrus belonging to the family Odobenidae. The genus name means "jaw of the setting sun," a reference to its occurrence on the west coast of North America. Unlike the modern walrus, which bears tusks only on the upper jaw, Dusignathus possessed enlarged canine tusks on both the upper and lower jaws, a trait shared with its close relative Gomphotaria and characteristic of the subfamily Dusignathinae.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Dusignathus (revision 1351747525), 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: Q110266169.
