Plithocyon fossil map
Where fossils of Plithocyon have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 23.04–5.333 million years ago (Aquitanian to Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Ursidae |
| Named by | Ginsburg 1955 |
| Fossil records | 38 occurrences at 17 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, France, China, Türkiye, Spain |
| Rock formations | txn:41301, Barstow, Tesuque, Valentine, "Madison Valley Equivalent", Xianshuihe |
About Plithocyon
Plithocyon is an extinct genus of hemicyonine bear of the Miocene epoch, endemic to North America and Europe. It lived from ~15.97—11.61 Ma, existing for approximately 4 million years.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Plithocyon (revision 1307293002), 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: Q7205035.
