Tusciziphius fossil map
Where fossils of Tusciziphius 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 | 23.04–3.6 million years ago (Aquitanian to Zanclean) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Ziphiidae |
| Named by | Bianucci 1997 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Spain, Italy, United States, Portugal |
| Rock formations | txn:42951, Goose Creek |
About Tusciziphius
Tusciziphius is an extinct genus of ziphiid cetaceans. The distribution includes the Miocene of Portugal and Spain, and the Pliocene of Italy and the United States. Two species are known: T. atlanticus and T. crispus.
The type specimen of T. crispus is IGF 1534, 1536, 1537, 1569, 1570, 1572, 1594 V, a partial skeleton (cerebral portion of a skull associated with the left tympanic and fragment of posterior portion of left mandibular ramus, fragment of hyoid, vertebrae, and ribs). The type locality is Case il Poggio, which is in a Zanclean coastal sandstone/claystone in Italy.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Tusciziphius (revision 1359433734), 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: Q13416558.
