Ekweeconfractus fossil map
Where fossils of Ekweeconfractus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 20.45–15.98 million years ago (Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Named by | Flink et al. 2021 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Kenya |
| Rock formations | Lothidok |
About Ekweeconfractus
Ekweeconfractus ("broken fox") is an extinct genus of hyaenodont mammal of the hyainailourid subfamily Hyainailourinae, known from 17-million-year-old deposits at the Moruorot site in Kenya.
The genus contains only a single known species, Ekweeconfractus amorui. The full scientific name of type species translates as "broken fox of stone". Known from a single skull with an intact cranium, it is estimated to have weighed around 15 kilograms (33 lb), similar in size to a large fox. The researchers who described and named the fossil were able to conduct a CT scan of the cranial cavity, revealing that the animal had a comparatively large neocortex for the overall size of its brain, and an estimated encephalisation quotient of 0.54, similar to that of other contemporary African hyaenodonts, but lower than that of Hyaenodon.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ekweeconfractus (revision 1313862436), 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: Q107616246.
