Dynamopterus fossil map
Where fossils of Dynamopterus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 45 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 45 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 | 48.07–23.04 million years ago (Lutetian to Chattian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Idiornithidae |
| Named by | Milne-Edward 1891 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Germany |
| Rock formations | txn:39477, Messel |
About Dynamopterus
Dynamopterus velox is an extinct prehistoric bird, known from a single large right humerus recovered in France. The humerus shares anatomical features with living cuckoos (though it is much larger). It has also been classified in the suborder Cariamae in the Gruiformes.
Some fossils once thought to be Dynamopterus tuberculatus may actually belong to Perplexicervicidae, a newly identified group of birds with bumpy neck bones that might have helped protect them from predators.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Dynamopterus (revision 1380561259), 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: Q30693362.
