Shamolagus fossil map
Where fossils of Shamolagus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 45 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 45 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 | 48.07–37.71 million years ago (Lutetian to Bartonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Leporidae |
| Named by | Burke 1941 |
| Fossil records | 10 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China, Mongolia |
| Rock formations | Shara Murum, txn:42163, Ulan Shireh |
About Shamolagus
Shamolagus is an extinct genus of lagomorphs that lived in present-day Mongolia during the Upper Eocene. It contains two species, both of which are now extinct: Shamolagus grangeri and S. medius. Both of the species and the genus itself were named by paleontologist J. J. Burke in 1941 based on fossils collected in 1925 and 1928. In the same paper, Burke grouped Shamolagus with Mytonolagus and another new genus Gobiolagus in the newly-named subfamily Mytonolaginae in the rabbit family Leporidae. He further stated that Desmatolagus was descended from Shamolagus despite placing it in a separate subfamily. Further fossils in the form of isolated teeth from central China were assigned by Tong to Shamolagus sp. and Shamolagus cf. medius in 1997.
A third species Shamolagus ninae was described for fossils, two isolated teeth, from Kazahkstan in 1984; the author of the description also placed Shamolagus in the lagomorph family Palaeolagidae without precedent. Later authors considered "S." ninae a member of Eurymylidae or a nomen dubium on account of lacking distinctive features.
Additionally, the species Titanomys franconicus has sometimes been included in Shamolagus.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Shamolagus (revision 1369356934), 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: Q48968996.
