Hyracotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Hyracotherium 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 | 56–45.9 million years ago (Ypresian to Lutetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Palaeotheriidae |
| Named by | Owen 1841 |
| Fossil records | 203 occurrences at 43 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, UK, France, Spain |
| Rock formations | DeBeque, Wind River, Wasatch, Willwood, Huerfano, "Wasatch" |
About Hyracotherium
Hyracotherium ( HY-rək-o-THEER-ee-əm; "hyrax-like beast") is an extinct genus of small (about 60 cm in length) perissodactyl ungulates that was found in the Eocene-aged London Clay formation. This small, fox-sized animal was once considered to be the earliest known member of Equidae before the type species, H. leporinum, was reclassified as a palaeothere. The remaining species are now thought to belong to different genera, such as Eohippus, which had previously been synonymised with Hyracotherium.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hyracotherium (revision 1376010059), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q222191.
