Squalodon fossil map
Where fossils of Squalodon have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 27.3–3.6 million years ago (Chattian to Zanclean) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Squalodontidae |
| Named by | Grateloup 1840 |
| Fossil records | 152 occurrences at 63 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Slovakia, Netherlands, Azerbaijan … |
| Rock formations | txn:42939, Calvert, Berchem, Libano Sandstone, Pietra Leccese, Chandler Bridge |
About Squalodon
Squalodon is an extinct genus of whales of the Oligocene and Miocene epochs, belonging to the family Squalodontidae. Named by Jean-Pierre Sylvestre de Grateloup in 1840, it was originally believed to be an iguanodontid dinosaur but has since been reclassified. The name Squalodon comes from Squalus, a genus of shark. As a result, its name means "shark tooth". It was once thought to be related to the 2 species of the genus Platanista ( the Ganges river dolphin and Indus river dolphin). However, it is a primitive odontocete with heterodont dentition and no modern descendants.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Squalodon (revision 1380753424), 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: Q774918.
