Pelomys fossil map
Where fossils of Pelomys 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 6.965 million years ago to the present (Messinian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Muridae |
| Named by | Peters 1852 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 7 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Zambia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Greece |
| Rock formations | txn:41892, Shungura, Olduvai |
About Pelomys
Pelomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa.
It contains the following species:
Bell groove-toothed swamp rat (Pelomys campanae)
Creek groove-toothed swamp rat (Pelomys fallax)
Hopkins's groove-toothed swamp rat (Pelomys hopkinsi)
Issel's groove-toothed swamp rat (Pelomys isseli)
Least groove-toothed swamp rat (Pelomys minor)
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pelomys (revision 1248785169), 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: Q958803.
