Oligobunis fossil map
Where fossils of Oligobunis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 29.5–15.98 million years ago (Rupelian to Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Mustelidae |
| Named by | Cope 1881 |
| Fossil records | 14 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | John Day, Harrison, Alachua, Runningwater, txn:41086 |
About Oligobunis
Oligobunis is an extinct genus of mustelids, which existed during the Miocene epoch.
The genus was first described by E. D. Cope in 1881. Cope assigned the genus to the family Mustelidae, and J. A. Baskin assigned it to the subfamily Oligobuninae in 1998. Two species have been identified in the genus: O. crassivultus and O. floridanus. Three more - O. gemmarosae, O. lepidus, and O. vantasselensis - were later assigned to the genus Promartes. O. floridanus was a medium-sized badger type mustelid carnivore that filled the niche of small cats during the "cat gap" of the early to middle Miocene in North America. Its fossils have been discovered in Florida, Nebraska, and Oregon.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Oligobunis (revision 1258220296), 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: Q7086806.
