Morganucodon fossil map
Where fossils of Morganucodon have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 201 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 201 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 | 205.7–165.3 million years ago (Rhaetian to Bathonian) |
| Periods | Triassic, Jurassic |
| Family | Morganucodontidae |
| Named by | Kuehne 1949 |
| Fossil records | 14 occurrences at 10 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | UK, China, Switzerland, France, United States |
| Rock formations | txn:39748, Lufeng, Klettgau, Kayenta, Forest Marble |
About Morganucodon
Morganucodon ("Glamorgan tooth") is an early mammaliaform genus that lived from the Late Triassic to the Middle Jurassic. It first appeared about 205 million years ago. Unlike many other early mammaliaforms, Morganucodon is well represented by abundant and well-preserved (though in the vast majority of cases disarticulated) material. Most of this comes from Glamorgan in Wales (Morganucodon watsoni), but fossils have also been found in Yunnan Province in China (Morganucodon oehleri) and various parts of Europe and North America. Some closely related animals (Megazostrodon) are known from exquisite fossils from South Africa.
The name comes from a Latinization of Morganuc, the name for South Glamorgan in the Domesday Book, the county of Wales where it was discovered by Walter Georg Kühne, giving the meaning "Glamorgan tooth".
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Morganucodon (revision 1381091062), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
