Giraffa fossil map
Where fossils of Giraffa 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 | 23.04 million years ago to the present (Aquitanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Giraffidae |
| Named by | Brisson 1762 |
| Fossil records | 544 occurrences at 145 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Sudan, Türkiye, Greece, Chad, Algeria … |
| Rock formations | Koobi Fora, Vogel River Series, txn:42690, Nachukui, Olduvai, Chiwondo |
About Giraffa
Giraffes (genus Giraffa) are large African hoofed mammals. They are the tallest living terrestrial animals and the largest ruminants on Earth. They are classified under the family Giraffidae, along with their closest extant relative, the okapi. Traditionally, giraffes have been thought of as one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies. Most recently, researchers proposed dividing them into four extant species, with seven subspecies, which can be distinguished morphologically by their fur coat patterns. Six valid extinct species of Giraffa are known from the fossil record.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Giraffe (revision 1380081633), 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: Q862089.
