Plesiadapis fossil map
Where fossils of Plesiadapis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 66–48.07 million years ago (Danian to Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Plesiadapidae |
| Named by | Gervais 1877 |
| Fossil records | 460 occurrences at 103 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, France, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany |
| Rock formations | Fort Union, txn:40733, Paskapoo, Wasatch, Goler, DeBeque |
About Plesiadapis
Plesiadapis (near Adapis) is an extinct genus of mammal closely related to primates, which lived in North America and western Europe during the Paleogene period (Selandian-Ypresian). The type species, P. tricuspidens, was described in 1877 by François Louis Paul Gervais, based on a partial left mandible (lower jaw) uncovered in France. Fourteen valid species have since been named.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Plesiadapis (revision 1378964741), 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: Q1191111.
