''Proscalops'' is an extinct genus of insect-eating mammal. Formerly placed in the defunct order

Insectivora The Order (biology), order Insectivora (from Latin ''insectum'' "insect" and ''vorare'' "to eat") is a now-abandoned biological grouping within the class of mammals. Some species have now been moved out, leaving the remaining ones in the order ...

, it is now placed with the

Eulipotyphla Eulipotyphla (, from '' eu-'' + '' Lipotyphla'', meaning truly lacking blind gut; sometimes called true insectivores) is an order of mammals comprising the Erinaceidae ( hedgehogs and gymnures); Solenodontidae (solenodons); Talpidae ( mole ...

. The first and most numerous ''Proscalops'' fossils were found in the

Sharps Formation The Sharps Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in South Dakota. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene. The Sharps Formation is the namesake of the community of Sharps Corner, South Dakota. Fossil content Mammal ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

, near Wounded Knee. Other samples have been found in the

Brule Formation The Brule Formation was deposited between 34 and 30 million years ago, roughly the Rupelian age (Oligocene). It occurs as a subunit of the White River Group in South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, and Wyoming. It is a sequence of fin ...

of South Dakota, the Deep River Formation of

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, and in

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

References

Prehistoric Eulipotyphla Oligocene mammals of North America Fossil taxa described in 1901 Prehistoric placental genera {{Paleo-eulipotyphla-stub