List of the prehistoric life of North Carolina

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This list of the prehistoric life of North Carolina contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of North Carolina.

Precambrian-Paleozoic

The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Precambrian or Paleozoic fossils in North Carolina.

Mesozoic

Selected Mesozoic taxa of North Carolina

Cenozoic

Selected Cenozoic taxa of North Carolina

  • Bostrycapulus
  • Botrychium
    • Botrychium dissectum
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Botryococcus
  • Brachidontes
  • Branta
    • Branta bernicla
      – or unidentified related form
  • Brasenia
  • Brotula
  • Buccella
  • Bucephala
    • Bucephala albeola
      – or unidentified related form
    • Bucephala clangula
      – or unidentified related form
  • Bulweria – tentative report
  • Burnhamia
  • Busycon
    • Busycon carica
    • Busycon contrarium
    • Busycon perversum
  • Busycotypus
  • Buteo
    • Buteo jamaicensis
  • Cadulus
  • Caecum
  • Fossilized carapace of the Paleocene-Miocene crab Calappilia
    Calappilia
  • Calidris
    • Calidris melanotos
      – or unidentified related form
  • Callinectes
  • Calliostoma
  • Callista
  • Callophoca
  • Calonectris
    • Calonectris borealis
      – or unidentified related form
    • Calonectris diomedea
      – or unidentified related form
  • Calotrophon
  • Calyptraea
  • nutmeg snail
    Cancellaria
  • Capella
    • Capella media
      – or unidentified related form
  • Carcharhinus
    • Carcharhinus brachyurus
    • Carcharhinus falciformis
    • Carcharhinus leucas
    • Carcharhinus macloti
    • Carcharhinus obscurus
    • Carcharhinus perezi
    • Carcharhinus plumbeus
  • Carcharias
    • Carcharias taurus
  • Carcharodon
    • Carcharodon carcharias
    • Carcharodon hastalis
  • Carditamera
  • Caretta
  • Carya
  • Cassidulina
  • Cassigerinella
  • Cassis
  • Castanea
  • Catharacta
  • Caulolatilus
  • Cavilucina
  • Centropristis
    • Centropristis striata
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Cerastoderma
  • Illustration of a living Ceratoscopelus lanternfish
    Ceratoscopelus
  • Cerithiopsis
  • Cerithium
  • Cerodrillia – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
    • Cerodrillia simpsoni
  • Cerorhinca
  • Cetorhinus
  • Life restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene whale Cetotherium
    Cetotherium
  • Chaetopleura
  • Chama
  • Chamelea
  • Chelonia – tentative report
  • Chelonibia
  • Chemnitzia
  • Chesapecten
  • Chilomycterus
    • Chilomycterus schoepfi
    • Chilomycterus schoepfii
  • Chione
  • Chlamys
  • Chrysemys
  • Cibicides
  • Ciconia
  • Cidaris
  • Circulus – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • A living Citharichthys large-tooth flounder
    Citharichthys
  • Cladocora
  • Cladogramma
  • Clathrodrillia – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • Clathrus
  • Clavatula
  • Clavicula
  • Clavilithes – or unidentified comparable form
  • Clavus – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • Claytonia – type locality for genus
  • Cliona – tentative report
  • Closia
  • Cochliolepis
  • A Coelopleurus sea urchin
    Coelopleurus
  • Colubraria
  • Colymboides – tentative report
  • Compsodrillia
  • Concavus
  • Conger
    • Conger oceanicus
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Conus
  • Corbicula
  • Corbula
  • Corvus
    • Corvus ossifragus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Corylus
  • Coscinodiscus
  • Cosmodiscus
  • Cotonopsis
  • Crania
  • Craspedodiscus
  • Crassispira
  • Crassostrea
    • Crassostrea virginica
  • Crenatocetus – type locality for genus
  • Crenella
  • Crepidula
  • Crucibulum
  • Cumingia
  • Life restoration of the Pliocene-Holocene elephant relative Cuvieronius
    Cuvieronius
  • Cyclocardia
  • Cygnus
    • Cygnus columbianus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Cylichna
  • Cylindracanthus
  • Cymatium
  • Cymatosira
  • Cymatosyrinx
  • Cynoscion
  • Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Eocene whale Cynthiacetus
    Cynthiacetus
  • Cypraea
  • Dasyatis
    • Dasyatis americana
      – or unidentified comparable form
    • Dasyatis centroura
    • Dasyatis say
  • Deinosuchus
    • Deinosuchus rugosus
  • Delphinapterus
  • Delphinus
  • Shell of a Dentalium tusk shell
    Dentalium
  • Denticula
  • Dentimargo
  • Dermomurex
  • Dictyocha
  • Didianema
  • Dinocardium
    • Dinocardium robustum
  • Diodora
  • Distephanus
  • Distorsio
  • Donax
  • Dosinia
  • Echinocardium
  • Echinorhinus
  • Ecphora
  • Ectopistes
    • Ectopistes migratorius
      – or unidentified related form
  • Electra
  • Elphidium
  • Emarginula
  • Ensis
    • Ensis directus
  • Epinephelus
  • Epitonium
  • Equetus
  • Ervilia
  • Erycina
  • Eudocimus
  • Eulima
  • Eupleura
  • Shell of a Euspira moon sea snail
    Euspira
  • Eutrephoceras
  • Euvola
  • Fabella
  • Fasciolaria
  • Fenimorea
  • Ficopsis
  • Ficus
    • Ficus communis
  • Flabellum
  • Fratercula
    • Fratercula arctica
      – or unidentified related form
    • Fratercula cirrhata
      – or unidentified related form
  • Fraxinus
  • Fulgurofusus
  • Fusinus
  • Gadus
    • Gadus morhua
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Galeocerdo
    • Galeocerdo contortus
    • Galeocerdo cuvier
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Galeodea
  • Galeorhinus
    • Galeorhinus galeus
  • Gari
  • Gastrochaena
  • Gavia
  • Gemma
    • Gemma gemma
  • Geochelone
  • Geodia
  • Gigantostrea
  • Ginglymostoma
  • Globicephala
  • Globigerina
  • Globigerinoides
  • Glossus
  • Glycymeris
  • Glyphostoma
  • Glyphoturris
  • Glyptoactis
  • Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pleistocene elephant relative Gomphotherium
    Gomphotherium
  • Granulina
  • Grus
    • Grus americana
      – or unidentified related form
    • Grus antigone
      – or unidentified related form
  • Gryphoca
  • Hadrosaurus
  • Haematopus
    • Haematopus ostralegus
      – or unidentified related form
    • Haematopus palliatus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Haustator
    – tentative report
  • Heilprinia
  • Heliornis
    • Heliornis fulica
      – or unidentified related form
  • Fossilized lower jaw of the Miocene-Pleistocene llama relative Hemiauchenia
    Hemiauchenia – or unidentified comparable form
  • Hemipristis
  • Hemirhabdorhynchus
  • Herpetocetus
  • Heterodontus
  • Hexanchus
  • Hiatella
  • Histrionicus
    • Histrionicus histrionicus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Homiphoca
  • Hyalina
  • Hyalodiscus
  • Hydroides – tentative report
  • Hypogaleus
  • Ilyanassa
  • Ischadium
    • Ischadium recurvum
  • A modern Isistius dogfish
    Isistius
  • Isoetes
  • Isognomon
  • Istiophorus
    • Istiophorus platypterus
  • Isurus
    • Isurus oxyrinchus
  • Ithycythara
  • Juniperus
  • Kellum
  • Life restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene dolphin Kentriodon
    Kentriodon
  • Kogia – or unidentified comparable form
    • Kogia breviceps
  • Kogiopsis – or unidentified comparable form
    • Kogiopsis floridana
  • Kuphus
  • Kurtziella
  • Kyptoceras
  • Laevicardium
  • Lagena
  • Living Lagenorhynchus dolphins
    Lagenorhynchus
  • Lagodon
    • Lagodon rhomboides
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Lamna
  • Larus
    • Larus argentatus
      – or unidentified related form
    • Larus atricilla
      – or unidentified related form
    • Larus delawarensis
      – or unidentified related form
    • Larus minutus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Leiostomus
  • Lepidochelys
  • Limaria
  • Linga
  • Linthia
  • Liquidambar
  • Littoraria
  • Littorina
  • Lonicera
  • Lophius
  • Lophocetus – or unidentified related form
  • Lopholatilus
    • Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps
  • Lucina
  • Lyria
  • Macoma
  • Macrocallista
  • Macromphalina
  • Makaira
    • Makaira indica
    • Makaira nigricans
  • Mammut
    • Mammut americanum
  • Manta
  • Maretia
  • Marginella
  • Megachasma
  • Megalops
    • Megalops atlanticus
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Megaptera
  • Meherrinia – type locality for genus
    • Meherrinia isoni
      – type locality for species
  • Meiocardia
  • Melanella
  • Melanitta
    • Melanitta nigra
      – or unidentified related form
    • Melanitta perspicillata
      – or unidentified related form
  • Melanogrammus
    • Melanogrammus aeglefinus
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Meleagris
  • Menippe – tentative report
  • Mercenaria
    • Mercenaria mercenaria
  • Meretrix
  • Mergus
    • Mergus serrator
      – or unidentified related form
  • Merluccius
  • Mesoplodon
  • Metulella
  • Microgadus
  • Micropogonias
  • Mitra
  • Mitrella
  • Mobula
  • Modiolus
  • Mola
  • Monodon
    – or unidentified comparable form
  • Morus
  • Muellerina
  • Mulinia
  • Musculus
  • Mustelus
  • Mya
    • Mya arenaria
  • Mycteroperca
  • Myliobatis
  • Myriophyllum
  • Mytilus
  • Partial fossilized mandible of the Miocene-Pliocene horse Nannippus
    Nannippus
  • Nanosiren – tentative report
  • Nassarius
  • Naticarius
  • Navicula
  • Negaprion
    • Negaprion brevirostris
  • Neohipparion
  • Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene Neophrontops
    Neophrontops – tentative report
  • Neverita
  • Niso
  • Nitzschia
  • Niveria
  • Notorynchus
  • Nucula
  • Numenius
    • Numenius borealis
      – or unidentified related form
  • Nuphar
  • Nymphaea
  • Nyssa
  • Odontaspis
    • Odontaspis ferox
  • Odostomia
  • Oliva
    • Oliva sayana
  • Olivella
  • Onoba
  • Ontocetus – type locality for genus
    • Ontocetus emmonsi
      – type locality for species
  • Oocorys
  • Ophidion
  • Opsanus
    • Opsanus tau
  • Ortalis
    – tentative report
  • Orycterocetus
  • Osmunda
  • Ostrea
  • Ostrya
  • Otodus
    • Otodus megalodon
  • Pachyptila
  • Pagrus
  • Pandion
  • Pandora
  • Panopea
  • Paragaleus
  • Paralia
  • Paralichthys
  • Parotodus
    • Parotodus benedenii
  • Parvanachis
  • Pecten
  • Pediastrum
  • Pediomeryx
  • Life restoration of the Oligocene-Pleistocene false-toothed bird Pelagornis
    Pelagornis
  • Pelecanus
  • Perotrochus
  • Petaloconchus
  • Petricola
    • Petricola pholadiformis
  • Phalacrocorax
  • Phalium
  • Phocageneus – or unidentified related form
  • Phocanella
  • Phoebastria
    • Phoebastria albatrus
      – or unidentified related form
    • Phoebastria immutabilis
      – or unidentified related form
    • Phoebastria nigripes
      – or unidentified related form
  • Two Phoenicopterus, or flamingos
    Phoenicopterus
  • Pholadomya
  • Phyllonotus
  • Physeter – or unidentified comparable form
    • Physeter macrocephalus
  • Physeterula – or unidentified comparable form
  • Picea
  • Pinguinus
  • Pinna – tentative report
  • Pinus
    • Pinus palustris
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Pisania
  • Pitar
    • Pitar morrhuanus
  • Placopecten
  • Platyphoca
  • Fossilized vertebra of the Miocene-Pleistocene baleen whale Plesiocetus
    Plesiocetus – or unidentified comparable form
  • Pleurofusia
  • Pleuromeris
  • Pleurotomaria
  • Plicatula
  • Pluvialis
    • Pluvialis squatarola
      – or unidentified related form
  • Podiceps
    • Podiceps auritus
  • Pogonias
    • Pogonias cromis
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Polinices
  • Polydora
  • Polygireulima
  • Polygonum
  • Polymesoda
  • Pomatomus
  • Living Pontederia pickerel weeds
    Pontederia
  • Pontoporia – or unidentified comparable form
  • Populus
  • Potamogeton
  • Prionotus
  • Pristiophorus
  • Pristis
  • Procellaria
    • Procellaria aequinoctialis
      – or unidentified comparable form
    • Procellaria parkinsoni
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Procolpochelys
  • Protosiren
  • Prunum
  • Psammechinus
  • Psephophorus
  • Replica of a fossilized cranium of the Miocene horse Pseudhipparion
    Pseudhipparion
  • Pseudochama
  • Pseudorca
  • Pseudotorinia
  • Pteria
  • Pterodroma
    • Pterodroma lessonii
  • Pterodromoides
    • Pterodromoides minoricensis
  • Pteromeris
  • Pteromylaeus
  • Pterothrissus
  • Ptychosalpinx
  • Puffinus
    • Puffinus gravis
      – or unidentified related form
    • Puffinus lherminieri
    • Puffinus pacificoides
      – or unidentified related form
    • Puffinus puffinus
      – or unidentified comparable form
    • Puffinus tenuirostris
      – or unidentified related form
  • Pugnus
  • Puncturella
  • Purpura
  • Purpurellus
  • Pusula
  • Pycnodonte
  • Pyramidella
  • Quadrans
  • Quercus
  • Raja
  • Rangia
  • Ranina – type locality for genus
  • Ranunculus
  • Retilaskeya
  • Rhincodon
  • Rhinobatos
  • Rhinoptera
  • Rhizoprionodon – tentative report
  • Rhynchobatus
  • Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene elephant relative Rhynchotherium
    Rhynchotherium
  • Ringicula
  • Rissoina
  • Robinia – type locality for genus
  • Rosalina
  • Sagittaria
  • Sanguisorba
  • Sarda
    • Sarda sarda
      – or unidentified related form
  • Fossilized teeth of the Neogene sperm whale Scaldicetus
    Scaldicetus – or unidentified comparable form
  • Scaphella
  • Schizaster
  • Sciaenops
    • Sciaenops ocellatus
  • Scoliodon
  • Sconsia
  • Scutella
  • Scyliorhinus
  • Seila
  • Semele
  • Semicassis
  • A living Seriola, or amberjack
    Seriola
  • Serpulorbis
  • Sheldonia – type locality for genus
  • Siliqua
  • Sinum
  • Siphonalia
  • Siphonochelus
  • Solariella
  • Solen
  • Solenosteira
  • Somateria
    • Somateria mollissima
      – or unidentified related form
  • Sphagnum
  • Sphoeroides
  • Sphyraena
    • Sphyraena barracuda
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Sphyrna
    • Sphyrna lewini
    • Sphyrna media
      – or unidentified comparable form
    • Sphyrna zygaena
  • Spisula
  • Spondylus
  • Life restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon
    Squalodon
    • Squalodon calvertensis
  • Squalus
  • Squatina
  • Stellatoma – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • Stelletta
  • Stenella
    • Stenotomus chrysops
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Stercorarius
    • Stercorarius longicaudus
      – or unidentified related form
    • Stercorarius parasiticus
      – or unidentified related form
    • Stercorarius pomarinus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Sterna
    • Sterna maxima
      – or unidentified related form
    • Sterna nilotica
      – or unidentified related form
  • Stewartia
  • Striatolamia
  • Strioterebrum
  • Strombiformis
  • Strombina
  • Strombus
  • Syllomus
  • Symphurus
  • Syntomodrillia
  • Tagelus
  • A living Tapirus, or tapir
    Tapirus
  • Tautoga
    • Tautoga onitis
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • Taxodium
  • Tectonatica
  • Teinostoma
  • Tellina
  • Shell in multiple views of a Tenagodus sea snail
    Tenagodus
  • Terebra
    • Terebra protexta
  • Terebratula
  • Tetraedron
  • Tetrapturus
    • Tetrapturus albidus
  • Thais
  • Thalassinoides
  • Thalassiosira
  • Thalictrum
  • Fossilized skeleton of the Oligocene-Miocene gavial relative Thecachampsa
    Thecachampsa
    • Thecachampsa antiqua
  • Thracia
  • Thunnus
    • Thunnus thynnus
  • Timoclea
  • Trachycardium
  • Triaenodon
    • Triaenodon obesus
  • Trigonostoma
  • Trinacria
  • Tringa
    • Tringa ochropus
      – or unidentified related form
  • Trionyx
  • Triphora
  • Trochita
  • Tucetona
  • Turbo
  • Turbonilla
  • Turritella
  • Tursiops
  • Typha
  • Typhis
  • Urophycis
    • Urophycis tenuis
  • Urosalpinx
  • Vasum
  • Venericardia
  • Vermicularia
  • Verticordia
  • Vexillum
  • Viburnum
  • Viviparus – tentative report
  • Volutifusus
  • Volvarina
  • Xenophora
  • Fossilized skeleton of the Miocene whale Xiphiacetus
    Xiphiacetus
  • Xiphias
    • Xiphias gladius
  • Xiphiorhynchus
  • Yoldia
  • Ziphius
    • Ziphius cavirostris
      – or unidentified comparable form
  • References

    • Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.