Tonsala fossil map
Where fossils of Tonsala 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 33.9–23.04 million years ago (Rupelian to Chattian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Plotopteridae |
| Named by | Olson 1980 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Pysht, Makah |
About Tonsala
Tonsala is an extinct genus of Plotopteridae, a family of flightless seabird similar in biology with penguins, but more closely related to modern cormorants. The genus is known from terrains dated from the Late Oligocene of the State of Washington and Japan.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Tonsala (revision 1380576955), 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: Q90128760.
