Omanitherium fossil map
Where fossils of Omanitherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 33.9–27.3 million years ago (Rupelian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Barytheriidae |
| Named by | Seiffert et al. 2012 |
| Fossil records | 8 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Oman |
| Rock formations | Ashawq, Ashawaq |
About Omanitherium
Omanitherium (meaning "Oman beast" in Ancient Greek) is an extinct genus of barytheriid proboscidean that lived during the early Oligocene in Oman. It belongs to the family Barytheriidae, which represented the first large size proboscideans to appear in the fossil record and were characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism.
The holotype SQU-290, is a partial mandible with both tooth rows, and a symphyseal fragment with erupting partial left and complete right incisors. Omanitherium was found from near the base of the Shizar Member of the Ashawq Formation, whose strata outcrops extensively north of Al-Mughsayl and Rakhyut in the Dhofar Governorate of southwestern Oman.
A cladogram of Proboscidea based on the phylogenetic analysis of Hautier et al. 2021 is below:
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Omanitherium (revision 1357955770), 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: Q1692845.
