Rhynchaeites fossil map
Where fossils of Rhynchaeites have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 56–41.03 million years ago (Ypresian to Lutetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Threskiornithidae |
| Named by | Wittich 1898 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom, Germany |
| Rock formations | London Clay, Messel |
About Rhynchaeites
Rhynchaeites (Greek for "beak fossil") is an extinct genus of wading bird, a stem-group threshkiornithid, which lived in Europe and North America during the Eocene epoch. The genus contains three species, R. messelensis, R. litoralis and R. mcfaddeni. It is one of the oldest members of the ibis family known from fossil remains.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Rhynchaeites (revision 1380012994), 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: Q7321668.
