Gomphos fossil map
Where fossils of Gomphos have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 59.24–33.9 million years ago (Thanetian to Priabonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Mimolagidae |
| Named by | Shevyreva 1975 |
| Fossil records | 20 occurrences at 9 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Mongolia, China |
| Rock formations | Naran Bulak, Nomogen, Irdin Manha, Kholboldchi, Ulan Shireh, txn:341239 |
About Gomphos
Gomphos is an extinct genus of early lagomorphs from the early Eocene of China and Mongolia.
Gomphos was first named in 1975 from material found in the Gashato Formation. There are currently two species in this genus: G. elkema, from the Greek word γόμφος (Romanized gomphos), which means "peg", but can also be used to signify molar teeth; and G. shevyrevae was named later in honour of the lead author who named the first original genus and species of Gomphos elkema.
Analysis supports Gomphos as one of the earliest lagomorphs, the group that includes rabbits, hares and pikas. It is likely that lagomorphs split off from the rest of the placental mammals around the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Gomphos (revision 1368534945), 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: Q311597.
