Erethizon fossil map
Where fossils of Erethizon 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 4.7 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Erethizontidae |
| Named by | Cuvier 1822 |
| Fossil records | 152 occurrences at 59 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada, Mexico |
| Rock formations | txn:42135, Palm Spring, San Timoteo, St. David, "unnamed sandstone", Tacubaya |
About Erethizon
Erethizon is a genus of New World porcupine and the only one of its family to be found north of southern Mexico. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is the only extant species, but at least four extinct relatives are known, the oldest dating to the Late Pliocene. Porcupines entered North America during the Great American Interchange after the Isthmus of Panama rose 3 million years ago. Early species of the genus retained an elongate tail, unlike E. dorsatum.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Erethizon (revision 1374184948), 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: Q732499.
