Pachyptila fossil map
Where fossils of Pachyptila 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 7.246 million years ago to the present (Messinian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Named by | Illiger 1811 |
| Fossil records | 37 occurrences at 19 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, French Southern Territories, United States, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Chile |
| Rock formations | txn:39695, Varswater, Hillgrove, Yorktown, BahĂa Inglesa |
About Pachyptila
Pachyptila is a genus of seabirds in the family Procellariidae and the order Procellariiformes. The members of this genus and the blue petrel form a sub-group called prions. They range throughout the southern hemisphere, often in the much cooler higher latitudes. Three species, the broad-billed prion (Pachyptila vittata), the Antarctic prion (Pachyptila desolata) and the fairy prion (Pachyptila turtur), range into the subtropics.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pachyptila (revision 1379748395), 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: Q2460293.
