Orcinus fossil map
Where fossils of Orcinus 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 | 7.246 million years ago to the present (Messinian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Delphinidae |
| Named by | Fitzinger 1860 |
| Fossil records | 94 occurrences at 46 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, New Zealand, Italy, Netherlands, United States, Antarctica, Mexico, O6 … |
| Rock formations | txn:42953, Setana, Cromer Forest Bed, Red Crag, Sanuki, Tangahoe |
About Orcinus
Orcinus is a genus of Delphinidae (dolphins), in the infraorder Cetacea. It includes the largest delphinoid species, Orcinus orca, known as the orca or killer whale. Two extinct species are recognized, Orcinus paleorca and O. citoniensis, known from fossils. The other extinct species O. meyeri is disputed.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Orcinus (revision 1376353619), 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: Q2123883.
