Scaldicetus fossil map
Where fossils of Scaldicetus 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–0.0117 million years ago (Aquitanian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Named by | Du Bus 1867 |
| Fossil records | 142 occurrences at 52 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Portugal, Spain … |
| Rock formations | txn:NF, Red Crag, Peace River, Pietra Leccese, Salsomaggiore, San Mateo |
About Scaldicetus
Scaldicetus is an extinct genus of highly predatory macroraptorial sperm whale. Although widely used for a number of extinct physeterids with primitive dental morphology consisting of enameled teeth, Scaldicetus as generally recognized appears to be a wastebasket taxon filled with more-or-less unrelated primitive sperm whales.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Scaldicetus (revision 1353094488), 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: Q3008867.
