Protovis fossil map
Where fossils of Protovis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 11.63–2.58 million years ago (Tortonian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Bovidae |
| Named by | Wang et al. 2016 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | txn:42742, Zanda |
About Protovis
Protovis himalayensis is a prehistoric species of sheep found in latest Miocene to Late Pliocene-aged strata of Himalayan Tibet in 2016.
Protovis was found only by some fragments such as its horns. Its discovery showed that modern mountain sheep first evolved from the genus Protovis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Protovis (revision 1345022301), 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: Q80925418.
