Thylamys fossil map
Where fossils of Thylamys have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 13.82 million years ago to the present (Serravallian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Didelphidae |
| Named by | Gray 1843 |
| Fossil records | 60 occurrences at 24 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Chile |
| Rock formations | txn:39945, Villavieja, Cerro Azul, Monte Hermoso, Epecuén, Botucatu |
About Thylamys
Thylamys is a genus of opossums in the family Didelphidae. The premaxillae are rounded rather than pointed. The females lack a pouch. The females' nipples are arranged in two symmetrical rows on the abdomen. All species but T. macrurus store fat in their tails, although this is not necessarily true for all species in the genus. Fossils belonging to the genus date back to the Miocene, with the oldest specimens being found in the Cerro Azul Formation of Argentina and the Honda Group of Colombia. Genetic studies indicate that the genus may have originated around 14 million years ago.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Thylamys (revision 1366781419), 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: Q1409303.
