Stenoplesictis fossil map
Where fossils of Stenoplesictis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 33.9–23.04 million years ago (Rupelian to Chattian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Named by | Filhol 1880 |
| Fossil records | 34 occurrences at 12 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Germany, Mongolia, China |
| Rock formations | txn:NF, Hsanda Gol, Bohlen, Ulantatal, Cyrena Beds |
About Stenoplesictis
Stenoplesictis is an extinct genus of enigmatic aeluroid carnivoran restricted to western Europe that lived during the Oligocene epoch. It was named by Henri Filhol in 1880 and contains the type species S. cayluxi as well as two other species, S. minor and S. crocheti. While several additional species from Asia and Africa had been assigned to it, S. muhoronii is the only species of Stenoplesictis needing a reassignment to another genus.
Species of Stenoplesictis were generally small-sized, with the smallest one, S. minor, being the size of mongooses of the genus Helogale. Stenoplesictis differs from other stenoplesictid relatives like Palaeoprionodon and Haplogale in several traits, including a flattened upper face of the skull, a narrow snout, and specific differences in the auditory region and dentition. It appeared by the Early Oligocene along with various other carnivorans including other stenoplesictids, and lasted up to the Late Oligocene.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Stenoplesictis (revision 1345023628), 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: Q1113347.
