Silvacola fossil map
Where fossils of Silvacola 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 56–51.1 million years ago (Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Erinaceidae |
| Named by | Eberle et al. 2014 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Canada |
| Rock formations | txn:40367 |
About Silvacola
Silvacola is an extinct genus of mammals belonging to the family Erinaceidae, which also contains the modern hedgehogs and gymnures. It lived in North America during the Early Eocene, about 50 million years ago. It was just 5 to 6 centimetres (2.0 to 2.4 in) long, roughly the length of an adult thumb. It is the smallest erinaceid ever found and comparable in size to some of today's shrews.
The teeth suggest it was an omnivore that probably ate insects and plants it found on the forest floor.
The fossil was discovered in the Driftwood Creek Beds near Smithers, British Columbia, about 670 kilometers north of Vancouver. It was once the site of an ancient lake, and it is a popular place to find fossils of early Eocene flora and fauna., part of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Silvacola (revision 1354878316), 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: Q18358720.
