Tyto fossil map
Where fossils of Tyto 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 13.82 million years ago to the present (Serravallian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Tytonidae |
| Named by | Billberg 1828 |
| Fossil records | 139 occurrences at 90 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Spain, Greece, Bahamas, New Caledonia, Australia, Niue, Madagascar, Cuba, United Kingdom … |
| Rock formations | txn:39407, Kromdraai, Shuler, Alfambra |
About Tyto
Tyto is a genus of owls in the family Tytonidae. Depending on the species and the locality, common names include barn owl, common barn owl, grass owl, sooty owl, masked owl, field owl or simply owl. It is the most widely distributed genus of owls in the world and one of the most widespread of all genera of birds, living almost everywhere except for polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, some Indonesian islands and some Pacific Islands.
The genus comprises three widespread continental species and many island species including the extinct island species. The widespread species comprise: western barn owl of Europe, western Asia and Africa, the eastern barn owl of Southeast Asia and Australasia, and the American barn owl of the Americas. However, some taxonomic authorities classify barn owls differently, and unify all continental barn owls in to one species. Further research is needed clarify the taxonomies.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Tyto (revision 1379761370), 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: Q375716.
