Mesocricetus fossil map
Where fossils of Mesocricetus 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63–0.0117 million years ago (Tortonian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Cricetidae |
| Named by | Nehring 1898 |
| Fossil records | 32 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Greece, Türkiye, Armenia, Israel |
| Rock formations | txn:41724, Dursunlu, Gonia |
About Mesocricetus
Mesocricetus is a genus of Old World hamsters, including the Syrian or golden hamster, the first hamster to be introduced as a domestic pet, and still the most popular species of hamster for that purpose.
Recent research has shown that, unlike almost all other land mammals studied, all species of this genus lack the capacity for color vision.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Mesocricetus (revision 1363201111), 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: Q389919.
