Spermophilus fossil map
Where fossils of Spermophilus 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 | Sciuridae |
| Named by | Cuvier 1825 |
| Fossil records | 444 occurrences at 138 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Romania, Canada, Greece, Mexico, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, China, Türkiye … |
| Rock formations | txn:41486, Crooked Creek, Kingsdown, Ash Hollow, St. David, Alamosa |
About Spermophilus
Spermophilus, also known as the Old World ground squirrels, sousliks or, sometimes, spermophiles, is an Old World genus of ground squirrels in the squirrel family (Sciuridae). Formerly, the genus was more species rich, but it has since been reduced to contain only species from Eurasia, with many former species having been moved to other genera. The 18 known species are distributed across the Eurasian steppe belt and adjacent regions between Central Europe and Manchuria. They inhabit steppe and comparable short grassland habitats, including airports, as well semi-deserts and, in some cases, agricultural fields. Their diet is dominated by seeds, grasses, forbs, roots and tubers, but may also include small invertebrates. Spermophilus live in colonial burrows, and spend much of the year in hibernation and, in dry regions, aestivation.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Spermophilus (revision 1371684282), 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: Q199251.
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