List of the prehistoric life of Tennessee
This list of the prehistoric life of Tennessee contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of Tennessee.
Precambrian
The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Precambrian fossils in Alabama.
Paleozoic
Selected Paleozoic taxa of Tennessee
- †Acodus
- †Actinoceras
- †Actinocrinites
- †Agaricocrinus
Fossilized calyx of the Carboniferous crinoid ("sea lily") Agaricocrinus americanus, or the mushroom crinoid
- †Amplexopora
- †Amplexus
- †Ampyx
- †Aphetoceras
- †Atrypa
- †Atrypa reticularis – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- †Aulopora
- †Bellerophon
- †Bembexia
- †Bimuria
- †Bumastus
- †Calymene
- †Calyptaulax
- †Camarotoechia
- †Cartersoceras – type locality for genus
- †Ceratopsis
- †Ceraurinus
- †Ceraurus
- †Chasmatopora
- †Cheirurus
- †Chonetes
- †Chonetes glenparkensis– or unidentified related form
- †
- †Christiania
Assemblage of fossilized shells of the Ordovician brachiopod Cincinnetina - †Cincinnetina meeki
- †
- †Cladochonus
- †Cladochonus crassus
- †
- †Cleiothyridina
- †Columnaria
- †Columnaria alveolata
- †
- †Conocardium
- †Constellaria
- †Coolinia
- †Cornulites
- †Cornulites proprius
- †
- Costellirostra
- Costellirostra Tennesseensis
- Crania
- †Craniops
- †Crepicephalus
- †Crepipora
- †Cruziana
- †Ctenostoma
- †Cyathocrinites
- †Cyclonema
- †Cyphaspis
- †Cypricardinia
Restoration of the Cambrian-Middle Devonian nautiloid cephalopod Cyrtoceras - †Cyrtolites
- †Cystodictya
- †Dalmanites
- †Dicoelosia
- †Dimerocrinites
- †Dimerocrinites carleyi
- †Dimerocrinites inornatus
- †Dimerocrinites occidentalis
- †
- †Distomodus
- †Distomodus staurognathoides
- †
- Dunkleosteus
- †Eatonia
- †Echinosphaerites
- †Eospirifer
- †Eospirifer radiatus
- †
- †Eretmocrinus
- †Eretmocrinus magnificus
- †
- '
Fossilized calyx of the Silurian-Middle Devonian crinoid ("sea lily") Eucalyptocrinites - †Eucalyptocrinites caelatus
- †Eucalyptocrinites crassus
- †
- †Favositella
- †Favosites
- †Favosites forbesi
- †Favosites spinigerus
- †
- †Fenestella
- †Fletcheria
- †Flexicalymene
- †Flexicalymene meeki
- †Flexicalymene senaria
- †
- †Foerstia
- †Forbesiocrinus
Fossilized calyx and partial stem of the Devonian-Carboniferous crinoid ("sea lily") Gilbertsocrinus - †Girvanella
- †Glyptocrinus
- †Gonioceras
- †Gravicalymene
- †Grewingkia
- †Grewingkia canadensis
- †
- †Hallopora
- †Hedstroemia
- †Helcionopsis
- †Hibbertia
- †Hindia
- †Holopea
- †Hyolithes
- †Illaenus
Fossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus. - †Kockelella
- †Krausella
- †Lingulella
- †Lonchodomas
- †Marsupiocrinus
- †Meristella
- †Meristina
- †Monomorphichnus
- †Orthoceras
- †Ozarkodina
- †Ozarkodina confluens
- †
- †Paciphacops
Fossilized theca of the Carboniferous blastoid echinoderm ("sea bud") Pentremites - †Phragmolites
- †Phycodes
- †Phylloporina
- †Plaesiomys
- †Planolites
- †Platyceras – type locality for genus
- †Platycrinites
- †Platystrophia
- †Platystrophia acutilirata
- †Platystrophia cypha
- †
- †Plectoceras
- †Pleurodictyum
- †Plumulites
- †Proetus
- †Protosalvinia
- †Pterotheca
- †Quadratia
Fossil of the arthropod burrow ichnogenus Rusophycus - †Sagenocrinites
- †Salterella
- †Siphonotreta
- †Skenidioides
- †Skolithos
- †Solenopora
- †Solenopora compacta
- †
- †Sowerbyella
- †Sphaerocodium – tentative report
- †Spirifer
- Spirorbis
- †Spyroceras
- †Stigmatella
Fossilized shell of the Ordovician-Silurian brachiopod Strophomena - †Strophomena concordensis
- †Strophomena filitexta
- †Strophomena incurvata
- †Strophomena neglecta
- †Strophomena planumbona
- †
- †Subulites
- †Taxocrinus
- †Tentaculites
- †Tetradium
- †Tricrepicephalus
- †Trimerus
- †Westonia
- †Whiteavesia
- †Wurmiella
- †Wurmiella excavata
- †
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Mesozoic
Selected Mesozoic taxa of Tennessee
- Acirsa
- Acmaea
A living Acteon barrel bubble sea snail - †Aenona
- Amauropsis
- †Ampullina
- †Ancilla
- †Anomia
- †Anomoeodus
- †Arca
- Arctica
Fossil of the Late Cretaceous crab Avitelmessus - †Avitelmessus grapsoideus
- †
- †Baculites
- †Baculites grandis
- †Baculites ovatus
- †
- Barbatia
- Brachidontes
- Cadulus
- Caestocorbula
- †Caestocorbula crassiplica
- †
- Callianassa
- †Callianassa mortoni
- †
- †Calliomphalus
- †Calliomphalus americanus– type locality for species
- †
Shell of a Cancellaria nutmeg sea snail - Capulus
- †Caveola
- Cerithiopsis
- Cerithium
- Charonia
- Chiton
- Clavagella
- Cliona
- †Conorbis
- Corbula
- †Crania – tentative report
- †Crenella
- †Crenella elegantula
- †Crenella serica
- †
- Cucullaea
- †Cucullaea capax
- †Cucullaea littlei
- †
- Cylichna
- †Cylichna incisa
- †
- †Dentalium
- †Discoscaphites
- †Discoscaphites iris
- †
- †Dolicholatirus
- †Ecphora
- Edmontosaurus
- Edmontosaurus regalis - report made of unidentified related form
Restoration of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene bony fish Enchodus, or the "saber-toothed herring" - †Eothoracosaurus
- †Eothoracosaurus mississippiensis
- †
- †Eulima
- †Euspira
- †Eutrephoceras
- †Exilia
- †Exogyra
- †Exogyra cancellata
- †Exogyra costata
- †
- Fasciolaria – tentative report
A Gastrochaena marine bivalve - †Gegania
- Gemmula
- Glossus
- Glycymeris
- †Hamulus
- †Helicoceras
- †Helicoceras navarroense
- †
- †Hoploparia
Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size - †Inoceramus proximus
- †Inoceramus sagensis
- †
- †Ischyrhiza
- †Ischyrhiza mira
- †
- Latiaxis
- Limatula
- †Linearis
- Lithophaga
- Littorina
- Lopha
- †Lopha falcata
- †
- †Lucina
- †Mammila
- Martesia
- †Mathilda
- Melanatria
- Membranipora
- Meretrix
- †Metopaster
- Micropora
- †Morea
Life restoration of two of the Late Cretaceous Mosasaurus - †Neithea
- †Neithea quinquecostata
- †
- Nucula
- †Nucula percrassa
- †
- †Obeliscus
- †Odostomia
- †Odostomia plicata – type locality for species
- Opalia
- Ostrea
- Panopea
- † Paranomia
- †Pecten
- †Pedalion
- †Peneus
- Pholadomya
- †Pholadomya occidentalis
- †
- †Plioplatecarpus
- †Plioplatecarpus depressus
- †
- Polinices
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Prognathodon preying upon an ammonoid cephalopod - †Protocardia
- †Pteria
- †Pterotrigonia
- †Pterotrigonia angulicostata
- †Pterotrigonia thoracica
- †
- Pycnodonte
- Ringicula
- †Ringicula pulchella
- †
- Rissoina
- Rostellaria– tentative report
- †Sargana
- †Saurodon – tentative report
- † Scala
Shells in multiple views of a Scaphander canoe bubble sea snail - †Scaphites
- †Schizobasis
- Seila
- †Seminola
- Serpula
- Serpulorbis
- †Siphonaria
- Teinostoma
- Tellina
- †Tenea
- †Teredo
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous sea turtle Toxochelys - †Toxochelys latiremis
- †
- Trichotropis
- †Trigonia
- Trochus
- †Tuba
- Turbinella
- †Turricula
- Turris
- Turritella
- †Turritella bilira
- †Turritella paravertebroides
- †Turritella tippana
- †Turritella trilira
- †Turritella vertebroides
- †
- Yoldia
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Cenozoic
- Aegolius
- †Aegolius acadicus
- †Aegolius funereus
- †
- Alligator
- Alnus
- †Ambystoma
- †Androglandula – type locality for genus
- †Androglandula tennessensis – type locality for species
- †Arctomeles
- †Arctomeles dimolodontus – type locality for species
- Athleta
Life restoration of the Eocene whale Basilosaurus - †Basilosaurus cetoides– or unidentified comparable form
- †
- †Berhamniphyllum – type locality for genus
- †Berhamniphyllum claibornense – type locality for species
- Betula
- †Blattotermes
- †Blattotermes wheeleri – type locality for species
- Bonasa
- †Bonasa umbellus
- †
- Brachidontes – or unidentified comparable form
- †Caesalpinia
- †Caesalpinia claibornensis – type locality for species
- Canis
- Canis dirus– tentative report
- Capella
- †Capella gallinago
- †
- Carduelis
- †Carduelis pinus
- †
- Carpodacus
- †Carpodacus purpureus
- †
- Carya
- †Castaneoidea – type locality for genus
- †Castaneoidea puryearensis – type locality for species
- †Castanopsoidea – type locality for genus
- †Castanopsoidea columbiana – type locality for species
- Castor
- †Castor canadensis
- †
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene giant beaver Castoroides - Celtis
- Cervus
- †Cervus elaphus
- †
- Chaetura
- †Chaetura pelagica
- †
- Chrysemys
- Clethrionomys
- †Clethrionomys gapperi
- †
- Colaptes
- †Colaptes auratus
- †
- Coluber
- Corbula
Fossilized skeleton preserved in situ (upper left, 2) of the Miocene-Pliocene horse Cormohipparion - Coturnicops
- †Coturnicops noveboracensis
- †
- Crassatella
- Crotalus
- Cucullaea
- Cyanocitta
- †Cyanocitta cristata
- †
- Desmognathus
- Didelphis
- †Didelphis virginiana
- †
- †Diplotropis
- †Diplotropis claybornensis – type locality for species
- †Ectopistes
- Ectopistes migratorius
- †Elater
- †Elater berryi – type locality for species
- †Eoglandulosa – type locality for genus
- †Eoglandulosa warmanensis – type locality for species
- †Eomimosoidea – type locality for genus
- †Eomimosoidea plumosa – type locality for species
- Eptesicus
- †Eptesicus fuscus
- †
- Equus
- Eremophila
- †Eremophila alpestris
- †
- Erethizon
- †Erethizon dorsatum
- †
- Falco
- Falco sparverius
- †Folindusia
- †Formicium – type locality for genus
- †Formicium berryi– type locality for species
- †
- †Fraxinus
- Geomys
- Glaucomys
- †Glaucomys sabrinus
- †
- Glycymeris
- Glyptemys
- †Glyptemys insculpta
- †
- †Hippomaneoidea – type locality for genus
- †Hippomaneoidea warmanensis – type locality for species
- Hyla
- †Hyla femoralis
- †
- †Knightiophyllum
- †Laevibuccinum
- Lepus
- †Lepus americanus
- †
- Lontra
- †Lontra canadensis
- †
- Lynx
- †Lynx rufus– or unidentified comparable form
- †
- †Machairodus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Mammut
- †Mammut americanum
- †
- †Mammuthus
- Mammuthus primigenius
- Marmota
- †Marmota monax
- †
- †Mazzalina – or unidentified comparable form
- †Megatylopus – or unidentified comparable form
- Melanerpes
- †Melanerpes carolinus
- †
- †Melolonthites
- †Melolonthites collinsi – type locality for species
- Mephitis
- Mephitis mephitis
- Mesalia
- Microtus
- †Microtus pennsylvanicus
- †Microtus xanthognathus
- †
- †Mylohyus
- †Mylohyus fossilis
- †
- Natica – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- Neotoma
- †Neotoma floridana
- †
- Notophthalmus
- Nuculana
- Odocoileus
- Odocoileus virginianus
- Ondatra
- †Ondatra zibethicus
- †
- Orthoyoldia
- Ostrea
- †Otiorhynchites
- †Ovibovini
- Paleofroeschnerius – type locality for genus
- †Paleofroeschnerius magnus – type locality for species
- †Paleojulacea – type locality for genus
- †Paleojulacea laxa – type locality for species
- Panthera
- †Panthera onca
- †
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Paramylodon - Pedioecetes
- †Pedioecetes phasianellus
- †
- Perisoreus
- †Perisoreus canadensis
- †
- Phenacomys
- †Phenacomys intermedius
- †
- Pholadomya
- Picoides
- †Picoides villosus
- †
- Pinicola
- †Pinicola enucleator
- †
- Pinus
- Pipilo
- †Pipilo erythrophthalmus
- †
- Pitar – tentative report
- Pituophis
- Plethodon
- †Plionarctos
Life restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene red panda Pristinailurus, or Bristol's panda - †Pristinailurus bristoli– type locality for species
- †
- Procyon
- †Procyon lotor
- †
- Quercus
- †Regina– or unidentified comparable form
- Salix
- Sayornis
- †Sayornis phoebe
- †
- Sciurus
- †Sciurus carolinensis
- †
- Scolopax
- †Scolopax minor
- †
- Sistrurus – or unidentified comparable form
- Sitta
- †Sitta canadensis
- †
Life restoration of the Pleistocene-Holocene saber-tooth cat Smilodon - †Smilodon fatalis
- †
- Sorex
- †Sorex arcticus
- †Sorex hoyi
- †Sorex palustris
- †
- Spermophilus
- †Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
- †
- Sternotherus
- Strix
- †Strix varia
- †
- Sturnella magna, or eastern meadowlark Sturnella
- Surnia
- †Surnia ulula
- †
- Sylvilagus
- †Sylvilagus aquaticus– or unidentified comparable form
- †Sylvilagus floridanus
- †
- Tamias
- †Tamias striatus
- †
- Tamiasciurus
- †Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
- †
- Tapirus
Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene rhinoceros Teleoceras - †Teleoceras aepysoma – type locality for species[2]
- Tellina
- †Tornatellaea
- Trachemys
- †Trigonobalanoidea – type locality for genus
- †Trigonobalanoidea americana – type locality for species
- †Tsuga
- Turdus
- †Turdus migratorius
- †
- Turritella
- Tympanuchus
- †Tympanuchus cupido
- †
- Ulmus
- Ursus
- Ursus americanus
- Venericardia
- Zonotrichia
- †Zonotrichia albicollis
- †
References
- Citations
- ^ Rachel A. Short; Steven C. Wallace; Laura G. Emmert (2019). "A new species of Teleoceras (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Hemphillian of Tennessee" (PDF). Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 56 (5): 183–260.
- ^ Rachel A. Short; Steven C. Wallace; Laura G. Emmert (2019). "A new species of Teleoceras (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Hemphillian of Tennessee" (PDF). Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 56 (5): 183–260.
- Bibliography
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.