Pappocetus fossil map
Where fossils of Pappocetus 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 | 48.07–37.71 million years ago (Lutetian to Bartonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Protocetidae |
| Named by | Andrews 1920 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Western Sahara, Nigeria |
| Rock formations | Aridal, Ameki, Samlat |
About Pappocetus
Pappocetus (meaning "grandfather whale") is an extinct protocetid cetacean known from the Eocene of southern Nigeria's Ameki Formation and Togo. More recently, fossil teeth and femurs have also been discovered in the Aridal Formation of the Sahara Desert in southwestern Morocco.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pappocetus (revision 1376790407), 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: Q13156613.
