Tomistoma fossil map
Where fossils of Tomistoma 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 | Crocodile relatives |
|---|---|
| Lived | 48.07–0.0117 million years ago (Lutetian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Gavialidae |
| Named by | Müller 1846 |
| Fossil records | 32 occurrences at 24 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Uganda, Portugal, Chad, Egypt, Kenya, France, India, Libya, Nepal, Ethiopia … |
| Rock formations | txn:38413, Nkondo, Warwire, Lagos-Portimão, Harudi, Turkana Grit |
About Tomistoma
Tomistoma is a genus of gavialid crocodilians. They are noted for their long narrow snouts used to catch fish, similar to the gharial. Tomistoma contains one extant (living) member, the false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii), as well as potentially several extinct species: T. lusitanicum and T. coppensi. Previously assigned extinct species known from fossils are reclassified as different genera such as Herugavialis, Eogavialis, Toyotamaphimeia and Sutekhsuchus.
Unlike the gharial, the false gharial's snout broadens considerably towards the base and so is more similar to those of true crocodiles than the gharial, whose osteology indicated a distinct lineage from all other living crocodilians. However, although more morphologically similar to Crocodylidae based on skeletal features, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing consistently indicate that the false gharial and by inference other related extinct forms traditionally viewed as belonging to the crocodylian subfamily Tomistominae actually belong to Gavialoidea and Gavialidae.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Tomistoma (revision 1378959322), 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: Q2077433.
