Plotopterum fossil map
Where fossils of Plotopterum 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–15.98 million years ago (Aquitanian to Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Plotopteridae |
| Named by | Howard 1969 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Japan |
| Rock formations | Jewett, Yamanouchi |
About Plotopterum
Plotopterum is an extinct genus of flightless seabird of the family Plotopteridae, native to the North Pacific during the Late Oligocene and the Early Miocene. The only described species is Plotopterum joaquinensis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Plotopterum (revision 1314706056), 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: Q84241841.
