Protopithecus fossil map
Where fossils of Protopithecus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 2.58 million years ago to the present (Gelasian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Atelidae |
| Named by | Lund 1838 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil |
| Rock formations | txn:40848 |
About Protopithecus
Protopithecus is an extinct genus of large New World monkey that lived during the Pleistocene. Fossils were found in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil in the 19th century. Other remains once assigned to this genus from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina and Toca da Boa Vista, Brazil likely belong to other taxa such as Cartelles.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Protopithecus (revision 1373650427), 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: Q3924331.
