Suricata fossil map
Where fossils of Suricata 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 | 2.58 million years ago to the present (Gelasian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Herpestidae |
| Named by | Desmarest 1804 |
| Fossil records | 16 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa |
| Rock formations | txn:199984, Swartkrans |
About Suricata
Suricata is a genus of mongoose that is endemic to Africa. The oldest species known is the extinct Suricata major that lived about 1.8 million years ago in South Africa. The only extant species is the meerkat (Suricata suricatta).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Suricata (revision 1377091845), 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: Q19817113.
