Ramphastosula fossil map
Where fossils of Ramphastosula 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 7.246–5.333 million years ago (Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Sulidae |
| Named by | Stucchi and Urbina 2004 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Peru |
| Rock formations | Pisco |
About Ramphastosula
Ramphastosula ("toucan booby") is an extinct genus of sulid bird known from fossils discovered in early Pliocene rocks of Peru. The type and only named species is R. ramirezi, named for Peruvian vertebrate paleontologist Gregorio Ramirez. The genus name is a combination of "Rhamphastos", "toucan" and "sula", an Icelandic word for "fool" that has been used to describe boobies (Sulidae, Sula) in general.
Ramphastosula is known from a partial skull that has bony characters placing it in the booby family Sulidae. Unlike living boobies, it has a large bill with a convex upper mandible, reminiscent of a toucan. The remains were recovered from the west side of Sud Sacaco Level (4–5 Million year-old) of the Pisco Formation. This area was a sheltered beach with rock platforms.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ramphastosula (revision 1340787966), 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: Q21368833.
