Palaeotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Palaeotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 45 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 45 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 | 56–27.3 million years ago (Ypresian to Rupelian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Palaeotheriidae |
| Named by | Cuvier 1804 |
| Fossil records | 314 occurrences at 69 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece |
| Rock formations | txn:57539, Castrais, Bembridge Limestone, Headon Hill, Headon Beds, Upper Headon Beds |
About Palaeotherium
Palaeotherium is an extinct genus of equoid that lived in Europe and possibly the Middle East from the Middle Eocene to the Early Oligocene. It is the type genus of the Palaeotheriidae, a group exclusive to the Palaeogene that was closest in relation to the Equidae, which contains horses plus their closest relatives and ancestors. Fossils of Palaeotherium were first described in 1782 by the French naturalist Robert de Lamanon and then closely studied by another French naturalist, Georges Cuvier, after 1798. Cuvier erected the genus in 1804 and recognized multiple species based on overall fossil sizes and forms. As one of the first fossil genera to be recognized with official taxonomic authority, it is recognized as an important milestone within the field of palaeontology. The research by early naturalists on Palaeotherium contributed to the developing ideas of evolution, extinction, and succession and demonstrating the morphological diversity of different species within one genus.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Palaeotherium (revision 1380295371), 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: Q138047.
