Pseudamphimeryx fossil map
Where fossils of Pseudamphimeryx have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 48.07–33.9 million years ago (Lutetian to Priabonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Amphimerycidae |
| Named by | Stehlin 1919 |
| Fossil records | 60 occurrences at 17 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Switzerland, Spain |
| Rock formations | txn:42569, Perrière, Perriere, Escanilla |
About Pseudamphimeryx
Pseudamphimeryx is an extinct genus of Palaeogene artiodactyls belonging to the Amphimerycidae that was endemic to the central region of western Europe and lived from the Middle to Late Eocene. It was first erected in 1910 by the Swiss palaeontologist Hans Georg Stehlin, who assigned to it multiple species and noted specific differences from another amphimerycid, Amphimeryx. As of present, it is known by six species, although the validity of P. valdensis has been questioned while the earliest-appearing species P. schosseri has been suggested to not be an amphimerycid.
Pseudamphimeryx is very similar to Amphimeryx with its selenodont (crescent-like ridges) dentition and its fused "cubonavicular bone" (cuboid bone and navicular bone) of its hind legs, both of which are recorded in ruminants in an instance of parallel evolution. Both amphimerycid genera had large orbits and long snouts. Pseudamphimeryx has very specific differences with Amphimeryx such as the occipital crest forms. Its selenodont dentition suggests that it had a preference for leaf-eating diets. Pseudamphimeryx was a tiny-sized artiodactyl that likely weighed less than 1 kg (2.2 lb).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pseudamphimeryx (revision 1334728220), 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: Q131437903.
