Protungulatum fossil map
Where fossils of Protungulatum have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 66 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 66 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 | 72.2–63.4 million years ago (Maastrichtian to Danian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous, Paleogene |
| Family | Arctocyonidae |
| Named by | Sloan and Van Valen 1965 |
| Fossil records | 128 occurrences at 19 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada |
| Rock formations | Hell Creek, Ferris, Fort Union, Lance, Frenchman, Ravenscrag |
About Protungulatum
Protungulatum ('first ungulate') is an extinct genus of eutherian mammals within extinct family Protungulatidae, and is possibly one of the earliest known placental mammals in the fossil record, that lived in North America from the Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Protungulatum (revision 1350013564), 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: Q2197682.
