Opisthodactylus fossil map
Where fossils of Opisthodactylus 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 21–3 million years ago (Aquitanian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Rheidae |
| Named by | Ameghino 1891 |
| Fossil records | 9 occurrences at 8 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Santa Cruz, Andalhuala, Chichinales, Toro Negro |
About Opisthodactylus
Opisthodactylus is an extinct genus of rheiform bird from the Early to Middle Miocene Santa Cruz and Chichinales Formations and the Late Miocene (Montehermosan) Andalhuala Formation of Argentina. Three species are described: the type species, O. patagonicus, O. kirchneri and O. horacioperezi. The species O. kirchneri was described in 2017 by Noriega et al. Fossils of O. horacioperezi were found together with fossils of Patagorhacos terrificus.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Opisthodactylus (revision 1341564687), 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: Q7098303.
