Mesoplodon fossil map
Where fossils of Mesoplodon 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 | 23.04 million years ago to the present (Aquitanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Ziphiidae |
| Named by | Gervais 1850 |
| Fossil records | 202 occurrences at 85 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Italy, O6, New Zealand, United States, O5, Japan, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Belgium … |
| Rock formations | txn:42951, Red Crag, Kattendijk, Calcari di Cagliari, Grange Burn, Tangahoe |
About Mesoplodon
Mesoplodont whales are 16 species of toothed whale in the genus Mesoplodon, making it the largest genus in the cetacean order. Two species were described as recently as 1991 (pygmy beaked whale) and 2002 (Perrin's beaked whale), and marine biologists predict the discovery of more species in the future. A new species was described in 2021. They are the most poorly known group of large mammals. The generic name "mesoplodon" comes from the Greek meso- (middle) - hopla (arms) - odon (teeth), and may be translated as 'armed with a tooth in the centre of the jaw'.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Mesoplodon (revision 1378171773), 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: Q243810.
