Icaronycteris fossil map
Where fossils of Icaronycteris 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 | 56–37.71 million years ago (Ypresian to Bartonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Icaronycteridae |
| Named by | Jepsen 1966 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 9 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, France, India, China |
| Rock formations | Green River, Lignites de Soissonais, Willwood, Wind River, Cambay Shale, Vaugirard |
About Icaronycteris
Icaronycteris is an extinct genus of microchiropteran (echolocating) bat that lived in the early Eocene, approximately 52.2 million years ago, making it the earliest bat genus known from complete skeletons, and the earliest known bat from North America.
Multiple exceptionally preserved specimens, among the best preserved bat fossils, are known from the Green River Formation of North America. The best known species is I. index. Fragmentary material from France has also been tentatively placed within Icaronycteris as the second species I. menui. I. sigei is based on well-preserved fragments of dentaries and lower teeth found in Western India. In 2023, the species I. gunnelli also from the Green River Formation was distinguished from I. index, and I. menui and I. sigei were proposed to be removed from the genus due to them not being closely related.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Icaronycteris (revision 1318125005), 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: Q1062126.
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