Parabalaenoptera fossil map
Where fossils of Parabalaenoptera have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 7.246–5.333 million years ago (Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Named by | Zeigler et al. 1997 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Santa Cruz Mudstone |
About Parabalaenoptera
Parabalaenoptera is an extinct genus of baleen whale found in Late Miocene sediments in Marin County, California. The type species is P. baulinensis. It was estimated to be about the size of the modern gray whale, about 16 metres (52 ft) long. Zeigler placed P. baulinensis in the subfamily Parabalaenopterinae in 1997, a clade which includes an extinct species of rorqual whales, also part of the Balaenopteridae family.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Parabalaenoptera (revision 1320610339), 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: Q7133685.
