Vulpes fossil map
Where fossils of Vulpes 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 | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 12.5 million years ago to the present (Serravallian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Canidae |
| Named by | (Frisch 1775) |
| Fossil records | 726 occurrences at 289 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada, South Africa, Greece, Italy, Greenland, Hungary, France, Spain, Russia … |
| Rock formations | txn:41189, Ash Hollow, Kingsdown, Varswater, Chamita, "unnamed sandstone" |
About Vulpes
Vulpes is a genus of the subfamily Caninae. The members of this genus are colloquially referred to as true foxes, meaning they form a proper clade. The word "fox" occurs in the common names of all species of the genus, but also appears in the common names of other canid species. True foxes are distinguished from members of the genus Canis, such as domesticated dogs, wolves, jackals and coyotes, by their smaller size (5–11 kg), longer, bushier tail, and flatter skull. They have black, triangular markings between their eyes and nose, and the tip of their tail is often a different color from the rest of their pelt. The typical lifespan for this genus is between two and four years, but can reach up to a decade.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Vulpes (revision 1380848421), 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: Q185194.
