Petaurista fossil map
Where fossils of Petaurista 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 | 2.58–0.0117 million years ago (Gelasian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Sciuridae |
| Named by | Link 1795 |
| Fossil records | 10 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | txn:41486 |
About Petaurista
Petaurista is a genus of rodent in the family Sciuridae. They are large to very large flying squirrels found in forests and other wooded habitats in southern and eastern Asia.
Like other flying squirrels, they are mostly nocturnal and able to glide (not actually fly like a bat) long distances between trees by spreading out their patagium, skin between their limbs. They feed primarily on plant material, but will also take small animals such as insects.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Petaurista (revision 1315058776), 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: Q1080535.
