Melanitta fossil map
Where fossils of Melanitta 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 5.333 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Named by | Boie 1822 |
| Fossil records | 72 occurrences at 34 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom, Ă…land Islands, Norway, Portugal, Canada, Russia |
| Rock formations | txn:39624, Yorktown, San Pedro, Cromer Forest Bed, Palos Verdes Sand, San Diego |
About Melanitta
The scoters are stocky seaducks in the genus Melanitta. The drakes are mostly black and have swollen bills, the females are brown. They breed in the far north of Europe, Asia, and North America, and winter further south in temperate zones of those continents. They form large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together. Their lined nests are built on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. These species dive for crustaceans and molluscs.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Scoter (revision 1375096451), 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: Q256760.
