Indodelphis fossil map
Where fossils of Indodelphis 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 | 56–48.07 million years ago (Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Peradectidae |
| Named by | Bajpai et al. 2005 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | India |
| Rock formations | Cambay Shale |
About Indodelphis
Indodelphis is an extinct genus of opossum-like metatherian from the Eocene of the Cambay Shale Formation of India. The type and the only species is Indodelphis luoi.
Indodelphis is the only known metatherian from Insular India (another, Jaegeria, has had its metatherian status questioned). It is known from the well-preserved lower molars of two individuals. This species probably represents the oldest-known record of Cenozoic metatherians from Asia, and it occurs in association with a diverse land mammal fauna comprising perissodactyls, artiodactyls, insectivores, laurasiatherians, apatotherians, bats, rodents and several other taxa currently under study.
It was initially assigned to the Peradectidae, but more likely belongs to the Herpetotheriidae. It may possibly be a junior synonym of Asiadidelphis from the Paleogene of Pakistan and Kazakhstan, which is known only from upper molars. It is unknown whether Indodelphis descended from a metatherian that colonized Insular India from Asia, or if it was a relict of India's original Gondwanan mammalian fauna.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Indodelphis (revision 1359191672), 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: Q128496184.
