Purgatorius fossil map
Where fossils of Purgatorius 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 | 66–57.5 million years ago (Danian to Thanetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Purgatoriidae |
| Named by | Van Valen and Sloan 1965 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 8 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada |
| Rock formations | Fort Union, Ravenscrag, Tullock, Bear, Hell Creek |
About Purgatorius
Purgatorius is an extinct genus of eutherian mammal from the early Paleocene epoch of western North America. It is typically believed to be the earliest example of a primate or protoprimate (a primatomorph precursor to the Plesiadapiformes), dating to nearly as old as 66 million years ago.
The first remains (P. unio and P. ceratops) were reported in 1965, from what is now eastern Montana's Tullock Formation (early Paleocene, Puercan). P. unio is from Purgatory Hill (hence the animal's name) in deposits believed to be about 63 million years old, and P. ceratops is a single worn tooth from Harbicht Hill in the lower Paleocene section of the Hell Creek Formation. Both locations are in McCone County, Montana. Harbicht Hill was once thought to be late Cretaceous, but it is now clear that it represents Paleocene channels with time-averaged fossil assemblages. Several more Montanan Purgatorius species have been named since the initial discovery, though fossils are still limited to teeth, jaw fragments, and a few ankle bones. Two Purgatorius species were also named from the Ravenscrag Formation of Saskatchewan, and an undetermined species is known from Corral Bluffs in Colorado.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Purgatorius (revision 1354832860), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q136654.
