Proterotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Proterotherium 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 | 29–2.58 million years ago (Rupelian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Proterotheriidae |
| Named by | Ameghino 1883 |
| Fossil records | 94 occurrences at 29 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay |
| Rock formations | Santa Cruz, Pinturas, Saldungaray-La Toma, Ituzaingo, Entre Rios, Solimoes |
About Proterotherium
Proterotherium (meaning "first beast") is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal of the family Proterotheriidae that lived during the Late Miocene of Argentina and Chile. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina, and the Galera Formation of Chile.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Proterotherium (revision 1377345657), 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: Q9063287.
