Rusa fossil map
Where fossils of Rusa have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 23.04 million years ago to the present (Aquitanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Cervidae |
| Named by | (Smith 1827) |
| Fossil records | 36 occurrences at 17 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China, Indonesia, Hungary, Tajikistan, Russia, Taiwan |
| Rock formations | txn:42652, Yuanmou, Kairubak suite, Khapry |
About Rusa
Rusa is a genus of deer from southern Asia. They have traditionally been included in Cervus, and genetic evidence suggests this may be more appropriate than their present placement in a separate genus.
Three of the four species have relatively small distributions in the Philippines and Indonesia, but the sambar is more widespread, ranging from India east and north to China and south to the Greater Sundas. All are threatened by habitat loss and hunting in their native ranges, but three of the species have also been introduced elsewhere.
The genus name derives from Malay rusa meaning "deer."
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Rusa (genus) (revision 1307729228), 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: Q754038.
