Monodelphis fossil map
Where fossils of Monodelphis 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 | 5.333 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Didelphidae |
| Named by | Burnett 1830 |
| Fossil records | 24 occurrences at 9 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil, Australia |
| Rock formations | txn:39945, Botucatu |
About Monodelphis
Monodelphis is a genus of marsupials in the family Didelphidae, commonly referred to as short-tailed opossums. They are found throughout South America. The genus includes a model organism (M. domestica) and one of the few semelparous mammals (M. dimidiata). As of January 2019, the most recently described species is M. vossi.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Short-tailed opossum (revision 1365802890), 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: Q1425981.
