Elomeryx fossil map
Where fossils of Elomeryx 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 | 41.03–15.98 million years ago (Bartonian to Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Anthracotheriidae |
| Named by | Marsh 1894 |
| Fossil records | 74 occurrences at 30 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada, France, Georgia, Japan, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, Austria, Vietnam … |
| Rock formations | txn:42443, Cypress Hills, Brule, Sage Creek, Arikaree, Gering |
About Elomeryx
Elomeryx is an extinct genus of artiodactyl, and is among the earliest known anthracotheres. The genus was extremely widespread, first being found in Asia in the middle Eocene, in Europe during the latest Eocene, and having spread to North America by the early Oligocene. The closest living relatives of the Elomeryx are thought to be suids, hippopotami, and cetaceans.
Elomeryx was about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in body length, and had a long, vaguely horse-like head. It had small tusks which it used to uproot plants, and spoon-shaped incisors ideal for pulling and cropping water plants. Elomeryx had five-toed hind legs and four-toed front legs, resulting in wide feet which made it easier to walk on soft mud. It probably had similar habits to the modern hippopotamus, to which it may have been related.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Elomeryx (revision 1372336195), 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: Q2361786.
