Orthaspidotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Orthaspidotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 59.24–48.07 million years ago (Thanetian to Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Pleuraspidotheriidae |
| Named by | Lemoine 1885 |
| Fossil records | 6 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France |
| Rock formations | Sables de Bracheux, Marnes de Dormans, txn:172037 |
About Orthaspidotherium
Orthaspidotherium was a European Paleocene genus of early herbivorous mammals of the family Pleuraspidotheriidae. It was included in the family Meniscotheriidae by Teilhard de Chardin in 1921–1922 and was subsequently separated into the family Pleuraspidotheriidae, before being placed in the family Phenacodontidae. The first complete skull of O. edwardsi was described in 2010, and the same paper once again places it in
Pleuraspidotheriidae. A 2017 study further reiterates this view.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Orthaspidotherium (revision 1365852432), 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: Q24883939.
