Prophaethon fossil map
Where fossils of Prophaethon 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 59.24–48.07 million years ago (Thanetian to Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Prophaethontidae |
| Named by | Andrews 1899 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom, United States, Belgium |
| Rock formations | London Clay, Aquia, Tielt |
About Prophaethon
Prophaethon is an extinct genus of seabird that lived during the Early Eocene (Ypresian, c.56-49 mya). As indicated by its generic name, it is a distant relative of the tropicbirds.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Prophaethon (revision 1341564641), 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: Q18608891.
