List of the prehistoric life of Massachusetts facts for kids

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

Precambrian

The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Precambrian fossils in Massachusetts.

Paleozoic

• 

  Fossil of the Cambrian trilobite Agraulos
  †Agraulos – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †Agraulos quadrangularis
• †Aldanella
  • †Aldanella attleborensis
• †Allatheca – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †Allatheca degeeri – broadly construed
• †Anabarites
  • †Anabarites korobovi
• †Bemella
  • †Bemella bella
• †Braintreella
  • †Braintreella rogersi
• †Calodiscus
  • †Calodiscus lobatus
• †Camenella
  • †Camenella baltica – tentative report
• 

  Fossil of Chancelloria
  †Chancelloria
• †Coleoloides
  • †Coleoloides typicalis
• †Condylopyge
• †Conotheca
  • †Conotheca subcurvata
• †Dawsonia
  • †Dawsonia dawsoni – or unidentified comparable form
• †Dipharus
  • †Dipharus attleborensis
• †Dromopus – tentative report
  • †Dromopus woodworthi – type locality for species
• †Eccentrotheca
  • †Eccentrotheca kanesia
• †Fomitchella
  • †Fomitchella infundabiliformis
• †Gracilitheca
  • †Gracilitheca bayonet
• 

  Fossil of the Cambrian mollusc Halkieria.
  †Halkieria
• †Hyolithellus
  • †Hyolithellus micans – or unidentified related form
• †Hyolithes
  • †Hyolithes tenuistriatus – broadly construed
• †Kingaspis
  • †Kingaspis avalonensis
• †Ladatheca – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †Ladatheca cylindrica
• †Lapworthella
  • †Lapworthella laudvigseni
  • †Lapworthella ludvigseni
• †Leptostega
  • †Leptostega abrupta
• †Linguella
  • †Linguella viridis
• †Mellopegma – tentative report
• 

  Restorative model of Microdictyon.
  †Microdictyon
• †Obolella
  • †Obolella atlantica
• †Obolus
  • †Obolus parvulus – tentative report
• †Onchocephalites
  • †Onchocephalites permingeati
• †Paradoxides
  • †Paradoxides harlani
• †Pelagiella
• †Plinthokonion
  • †Plinthokonion arethion
• †Rhombocorniculum
  • †Rhombocorniculum cancellatum
• †Scenella
  • †Scenella reticulata
• †Serrodiscus
  • †Serrodiscus bellimarginatus
• †Sokolovitheca
  • †Sokolovitheca sokolovi
• †Stenotheca – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †Stenotheca acutacosta
• †Sunnaginia
  • †Sunnaginia imbricata
• 

  Fossil of the mysterious Cambrian animal Torellella
  †Torellella
  • †Torellella laevigata
• †Watsonella
  • †Watsonella crosbyi

Mesozoic

This list of the Mesozoic life of Massachusetts contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of Massachusetts and are between 252.17 and 66 million years of age.

A

• †Acanthichnus
  • †Acanthichnus aguineus – type locality for species
  • †Acanthichnus alternans – type locality for species
  • †Acanthichnus cursorius
  • †Acanthichnus saltatorius
  • †Acanthichnus trilinearis
• †Acteonella
• †Aenigmichnus
  • †Aenigmichnus multiformis
• †Amblonyx – type locality for genus
  • †Amblonyx giganteus – type locality for species
  • †Amblonyx lyellianus
• †Amblypus – type locality for genus
  • †Amblypus dextratus – type locality for species
• †Ammopus – type locality for genus
  • †Ammopus marshi – type locality for species
• †Ampelichnus
  • †Ampelichnus sulcatus
• †Anchisauripus
  • †Anchisauripus exsertus – type locality for species
  • †Anchisauripus hitchcocki – type locality for species
  • †Anchisauripus minusculum – type locality for species
  • †Anchisauripus minusculus
  • †Anchisauripus parallelus
  • †Anchisauripus sillimani
  • †Anchisauripus tuberosus – type locality for species
• 

  Restoration of the Early Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaur Anchisaurus
  †Anchisaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Anchisaurus polyzelus – type locality for species
• †Ancyropus
  • †Ancyropus heteroclitus
• †Anomoepus
  • †Anomoepus crassus
  • †Anomoepus cuneatus – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus curvatus – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus gracillimus – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus intermedius – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus isodactylus – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus major – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus minimus – type locality for species
  • †Anomoepus scambus – type locality for species
• †Anticheiropus – type locality for genus
  • †Anticheiropus hamatus – type locality for species
  • †Anticheiropus pilulatus – type locality for species
• †Antipus
  • †Antipus bifidus – type locality for species
• †Apatichnus – type locality for genus
  • †Apatichnus circumagens – type locality for species
• †Arachnichnus
  • †Arachnichnus dehiscens – type locality for species
• †Argoides
  • †Argoides macrodactylus
  • †Argoides minimus – type locality for species
  • †Argoides redfieldianum – tentative report
  • †Argoides redfieldii – type locality for species

B

• 

  Illustration of a living Batrachoides toadfish
  †Batrachoides
  • †Batrachoides nidificans
• †Batrachopus – type locality for genus
  • †Batrachopus bellus – type locality for species
  • †Batrachopus deweyi – type locality for species
  • †Batrachopus dispar – type locality for species
  • †Batrachopus gracilis – type locality for species
  • †Batrachopus vuigaris
• †Bifurculipes
  • †Bifurculipes curvatus
  • †Bifurculipes elachistotatus
  • †Bifurculipes laqueatus
  • †Bifurculipes scolopendroideus
• †Bisulcus
  • †Bisulcus undulatus – type locality for species
• †Brontozoum
  • †Brontozoum approximatum
  • †Brontozoum divaricatum – type locality for species
  • †Brontozoum giganteum – type locality for species
  • †Brontozoum isodactylum
  • †Brontozoum parallelum – type locality for species
  • †Brontozoum sillimanium
  • †Brontozoum tuberatum – type locality for species

C

• †Chalthropteris
• †Clathropteris
• †Climacodichnus
  • †Climacodichnus corrigatus – type locality for species
• †Cochlichnus
  • †Cochlichnus anguineus
• †Conopsoides
  • †Conopsoides curtus – type locality for species
  • †Conopsoides larvalis
• †Copeza
  • †Copeza archimedea
  • †Copeza cruscularis
  • †Copeza propinquata
  • †Copeza punctata
  • †Copeza triremus
• †Corvipes – type locality for genus
  • †Corvipes lacertoideus – type locality for species
• †Cunichnoides – type locality for genus
  • †Cunichnoides marsupialoideus – type locality for species
• †Cunicularius
  • †Cunicularius retrahens

E

• 

  Fossils of the large theropod dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Eubrontes
  †Eubrontes
  • †Eubrontes divaricatus
• †Eupalamopus – type locality for genus
  • †Eupalamopus dananus – type locality for species

G

• †Gigandipus – type locality for genus
  • †Gigandipus caudatus – type locality for species
• 

  Fossil negative with skin impressions of the theropod dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Grallator
  †Grallator – type locality for genus
  • †Grallator cuneatus – type locality for species
  • †Grallator cursorius – type locality for species
  • †Grallator formosus – type locality for species
  • †Grallator gracilis – type locality for species
  • †Grallator magnificus – type locality for species
  • †Grallator parallelus – type locality for species
  • †Grallator sillimaniium – tentative report
  • †Grallator tenuis – type locality for species
• †Grammepus
  • †Grammepus erismatus
  • †Grammepus uniordinatus
• †Grammichnus
  • †Grammichnus alpha

H

• †Halysichnus
  • †Halysichnus laqueatus
• †Harpagopus
  • †Harpagopus dubius
• †Harpedactylus
  • †Harpedactylus crassus – type locality for species
  • †Harpedactylus gracilior – type locality for species
  • †Harpedactylus tenuissimus – type locality for species
• †Harpepus
  • †Harpepus capillaris
• †Helcura
  • †Helcura anguinea – type locality for species
  • †Helcura littoralis – type locality for species
  • †Helcura surgens – type locality for species
• †Henrisporites
  • †Henrisporites angustus – type locality for species
• †Herpystezoum
  • †Herpystezoum intermedius
  • †Herpystezoum marshi
  • †Herpystezoum minutus
• †Hexapodichnus
  • †Hexapodichnus horreus
  • †Hexapodichnus magnus
• †Holcoptera
  • †Holcoptera giebeli
• †Hoplichnus – type locality for genus
  • †Hoplichnus equus – type locality for species
  • †Hoplichnus quadrupedans – type locality for species
• †Hyphepus – type locality for genus
  • †Hyphepus fieldi – type locality for species

I

• †Isocampe – type locality for genus
  • †Isocampe strata – type locality for species

K

• †Kayentapus
  • †Kayentapus minor – type locality for species

L

• †Lagunculapes – type locality for genus
  • †Lagunculapes latus – type locality for species
• †Lunula
  • †Lunula obscura

M

• †Mormolucoides – type locality for genus
  • †Mormolucoides articulatus – type locality for species

O

• †Ornithichnites – type locality for genus
  • †Ornithichnites giganteus – type locality for species
• †Ornithoidichnites
  • †Ornithoidichnites cuneatus – type locality for species
  • †Ornithoidichnites giganteus
  • †Ornithoidichnites lyellii – type locality for species
• †Ornithopus
  • †Ornithopus adamsanus – type locality for species
• †Otouphepus
  • †Otouphepus minor – type locality for species
• 

  Fossil from Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum of the Late Triassic-Middle Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Otozoum
  †Otozoum – type locality for genus
  • †Otozoum minus – type locality for species
  • †Otozoum moodii – type locality for species

P

• †Palaephemera
  • †Palaephemera mediaeva
• †Palamopus
  • †Palamopus divaricans
• †Paxillitriletes
  • †Paxillitriletes dakotaensis
• †Pityostrobus
  • †Pityostrobus kayei – type locality for species
• †Platypterna
  • †Platypterna concamerata – type locality for species
  • †Platypterna deanii
  • †Platypterna digitigrada – type locality for species
  • †Platypterna gracillima – type locality for species
  • †Platypterna recta – type locality for species
  • †Platypterna varica – type locality for species
• †Plectropterna
  • †Plectropterna gracilis – type locality for species
  • †Plectropterna lineans
  • †Plectropterna minitans
• †Plesiornis – type locality for genus
  • †Plesiornis pilulatus – type locality for species
• 

  Fossilized partial skeleton of the Early Jurassic theropod dinosaur Podokesaurus
  †Podokesaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Podokesaurus holyokensis – type locality for species
• †Polemarchus – type locality for genus
  • †Polemarchus gigas – type locality for species
• †Pseudoaraucaria
  • †Pseudoaraucaria arnoldii – type locality for species
• †Pterichnus
  • †Pterichnus centipes
• †Ptilichnus – type locality for genus
  • †Ptilichnus anomalus – type locality for species
  • †Ptilichnus hydrodromus – type locality for species
  • †Ptilichnus pectinatus – type locality for species
  • †Ptilichnus typographus – type locality for species

S

• †Sagittarius
  • †Sagittarius alternans
• †Saltator
  • †Saltator bipedatus – type locality for species
  • †Saltator caudatus – type locality for species
• †Sauropus
  • †Sauropus barrattii – type locality for species
• †Selenichnus
  • †Selenichnus breviusculus – type locality for species
  • †Selenichnus falcatus – type locality for species
• †Sillimanius
  • †Sillimanius gracilior
  • †Sillimanius tetradactylus
• 

  Fossils of the Cambrian-modern worm burrow ichnogenus Skolithos
  †Skolithos
• †Sphaerapus
  • †Sphaerapus larvalis
  • †Sphaerapus magnus
• †Stegomus
  • †Stegomus longipes – type locality for species
• †Stenonyx
  • †Stenonyx lateralis – type locality for species
• †Steropezoum
  • †Steropezoum elegantius
• †Steropoides
  • †Steropoides divaricatus – type locality for species
  • †Steropoides diversus – type locality for species
  • †Steropoides elegans – type locality for species
  • †Steropoides infelix – type locality for species
  • †Steropoides ingens – type locality for species
  • †Steropoides loripes – type locality for species
  • †Steropoides uncus – type locality for species
• †Stratipes – type locality for genus
  • †Stratipes latus – type locality for species

T

• †Tarsodactylus – type locality for genus
  • †Tarsodactylus caudatus – type locality for species
  • †Tarsodactylus expansus – type locality for species
• †Tarsoplectrus
  • †Tarsoplectrus angustus – type locality for species
• †Toxichnus – type locality for genus
  • †Toxichnus inaequalis – type locality for species
• †Triaenopus
  • †Triaenopus baileyanus
• †Trihamus – type locality for genus
  • †Trihamus elegans – type locality for species
• Trisulcus
  • †Trisulcus laqueatus
• †Typopus – type locality for genus
  • †Typopus abnormis – type locality for species

X

• †Xiphopeza – type locality for genus
  • †Xiphopeza triplex – type locality for species

Cenozoic

This list of the Cenozoic life of Massachusetts contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of Massachusetts and are between 66 million and 10,000 years of age.

List

A

• Aligena
  • †Aligena elevata
• Anadara
  • 

    Shell of an Anadara transversa, or transverse ark clam
    †Anadara transversa
• Angulus
  • †Angulus agilis
• Anomia
  • †Anomia paucistriata
  • †Anomia simplexiformis
• Astarte
  • †Astarte castanea
  • †Astarte crenata
  • †Astarte undata
• Astyris
  • †Astyris lunata

B

• 

  Portrait of a living Balaenoptera baleen whale
  Balaenoptera
  • †Balaenoptera sursiplana – tentative report
• Balanus
  • †Balanus crenatus
• Boonea
  • †Boonea impressa
• Brachidontes
  • †Brachidontes vineyardensis
• Buccinum
  • †Buccinum undatum

C

• Callinectes
  • 

    A living Callinectes sapidus, or Chesapeake blue crab
    †Callinectes sapidus
• †Callophoca
  • †Callophoca obscura
• Cardium
• Caryocorbula
  • †Caryocorbula contracta
• Cliona
  • †Cliona sulphurea
• Colus
  • †Colus stimpsoni
• Corymbites
  • †Corymbites aethiops
• Crassostrea
  • †Crassostrea virginica
• Crenella
  • †Crenella glandula
• Crepidula
  • †Crepidula fornicata
  • †Crepidula plana
• Cumingia
  • †Cumingia tellinoides
• †Cuneocorbula
  • †Cuneocorbula whitfieldi
• Cyclocardia
  • †Cyclocardia borealis
  • †Cyclocardia novangliae
• 

  Illustration of a living Cymindis ground beetle
  Cymindis
  • †Cymindis extorpescens – type locality for species

D

• 

  A living Donacia leaf beetle
  Donacia
  • †Donacia elongatula – type locality for species

E

• 

  Interior of the shell of an Ensis leei, or Atlantic jackknife clam
  Ensis
  • †Ensis directus
• Eontia
  • †Eontia ponderosa
• Equus
• Eupleura
  • †Eupleura caudata

G

• Gemma
  • †Gemma gemma
• 

  Fossilized shell of a Glycymeris, or bittersweet clam
  Glycymeris
  • †Glycymeris wrigleyi – or unidentified related form

H

• Hemimactra
  • †Hemimactra solidissima

I

• Ilyanassa
  • †Ilyanassa obsoleta
  • †Ilyanassa trivittata
• Ischadium
  • 

    Shells of Ischadium recurvum, or hooked mussels
    †Ischadium recurvum

M

• Macoma
  • †Macoma balthica
• †Mammut
  • 

    Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
    †Mammut americanum
• †Mammuthus
• Mercenaria
  • †Mercenaria campechiensis
  • †Mercenaria mercenaria
• Mesodesma
  • †Mesodesma arctatum
• Modiolus
  • †Modiolus hollicki
• †Monotherium
  • †Monotherium aberratum
• †Mya
  • †Mya arenaria
  • †Mya truncata
• Mytilus
  • †Mytilus edulis

N

• 

  Preserved Neverita moon sea snail
  Neverita
  • †Neverita duplicatus
• Nucula
  • †Nucula potomacensis – or unidentified related form

O

• 

  A living Odobenus rosmarus, or walrus
  Odobenus
• Odostomia
  • †Odostomia crenulata
  • †Odostomia semicostata
• Ostrea

P

• Panomya
  • †Panomya norvegica
• Panopeus
  • †Panopeus herbstii
• Petricola
  • †Petricola pholadiformis
• †Pinguinus
  • 

    Taxidermied specimen of Pinguinus impennis, or the great auk
    †Pinguinus impennis
• Placopecten
  • †Placopecten magellanicus
• †Prophoca – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Prophoca rousseaui

S

• †Saxinis
  • †Saxinis regularis – type locality for species
• Serpula
  • †Serpula dianthus
• 

  Life restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon
  †Squalodon
  • †Squalodon atlanticus

T

• 

  Shell of a Tellina, or tellin
  Tellina
• Terebra
  • †Terebra juvenicostata
• Turbonilla
  • †Turbonilla interrupta
• Turritella

U

• Urosalpinx
  • 

    A living Urosalpinx sea snail, or oyster drill
    †Urosalpinx cinerea