List of the prehistoric life of Tennessee facts for kids

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
    †Agaricocrinus americanus
• †Amplexopora
• †Amplexus
• †Ampyx
• †Aphetoceras
• †Atrypa
  • †Atrypa reticularis – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• †Aulopora
• †Bellerophon
• †Bembexia
• †Bimuria
• †Bumastus
• †Calymene
  • †Calymene niagarensis
• †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
  • †Cincinnetina meeki
• †Cladochonus
  • †Cladochonus crassus
• †Cleiothyridina
• †Columnaria
  • †Columnaria alveolata
• †Conocardium
• †Constellaria
• †Coolinia
• †Cornulites
  • †Cornulites proprius
• Crania
• †Craniops
• †Crepicephalus
• †Crepipora
• †Cruziana
• †Ctenostoma
• †Cyathocrinites
• †Cyclonema
• †Cyphaspis
• †Cypricardinia
• 

  Restoration of the Cambrian-Middle Devonian nautiloid cephalopod Cyrtoceras
  †Cyrtoceras
• †Cyrtolites
• †Cystodictya
• †Dalmanites
• †Dicoelosia
• †Dimerocrinites
  • †Dimerocrinites carleyi
  • †Dimerocrinites inornatus
  • †Dimerocrinites occidentalis
• †Distomodus
  • †Distomodus staurognathoides
• †Eatonia
• †Echinosphaerites
• †Eospirifer
  • †Eospirifer radiatus
• †Eretmocrinus
  • †Eretmocrinus magnificus
• 

  Fossilized calyx of the Silurian-Middle Devonian crinoid ("sea lily") Eucalyptocrinites
  †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
  †Gilbertsocrinus
• †Girvanella
• †Glyptocrinus
• †Gonioceras
• †Gravicalymene
• †Grewingkia
  • †Grewingkia canadensis
• †Hallopora
• †Hedstroemia
• †Helcionopsis
  • †Helcionopsis striata
• †Hibbertia
• †Hindia
• †Holopea
• †Hyolithes
• †Illaenus
• 

  Fossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus.
  †Isotelus
• †Kockelella
• †Krausella
• †Lingulella
• †Lonchodomas
• †Marsupiocrinus
• †Meristella
• †Meristina
• †Monomorphichnus
• †Orthoceras
• †Ozarkodina
  • †Ozarkodina confluens
• †Paciphacops
• 

  Fossilized theca of the Carboniferous blastoid echinoderm ("sea bud") Pentremites
  †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
  †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
  • †Strophomena concordensis
  • †Strophomena filitexta
  • †Strophomena incurvata
  • †Strophomena neglecta
  • †Strophomena planumbona
• †Subulites
• †Taxocrinus
• †Tentaculites
• †Tetradium
• †Tricrepicephalus
• †Trimerus
• †Westonia
• †Whiteavesia
• †Wurmiella
  • †Wurmiella excavata

Mesozoic

Selected Mesozoic taxa of Tennessee

• Acirsa
• Acmaea
• 

  A living Acteon barrel bubble sea snail
  †Acteon
• †Aenona
• Amauropsis
• †Ampullina
• †Ancilla
• †Anomia
• †Anomoeodus
• †Arca
• Arctica
• 

  Fossil of the Late Cretaceous crab Avitelmessus
  †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
  Cancellaria
• 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
• 

  Restoration of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene bony fish Enchodus, or the "saber-toothed herring"
  †Enchodus
• †Eothoracosaurus
  • †Eothoracosaurus mississippiensis
• †Eulima
• †Euspira
• †Eutrephoceras
• †Exilia
• †Exogyra
  • †Exogyra cancellata
  • †Exogyra costata
• Fasciolaria – tentative report
• 

  A Gastrochaena marine bivalve
  Gastrochaena
• †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
  • †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
  †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
  †Prognathodon
• †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
  Scaphander
• †Scaphites
• †Schizobasis
• Seila
• †Seminola
• Serpula
• Serpulorbis
• †Siphonaria
• Teinostoma
• Tellina
• †Tenea
• †Teredo
• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous sea turtle Toxochelys
  †Toxochelys
  • †Toxochelys latiremis
• Trichotropis
• †Trigonia
• Trochus
• †Tuba
• Turbinella
• †Turricula
• Turris
• Turritella
  • †Turritella bilira
  • †Turritella paravertebroides
  • †Turritella tippana
  • †Turritella trilira
  • †Turritella vertebroides
• Yoldia

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
  • †Athleta rugatus
• 

  Life restoration of the Eocene whale Basilosaurus
  †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
  • †Brachidontes saffordi
• †Caesalpinia
  • †Caesalpinia claibornensis – type locality for species
• Canis
  • 

    Modern mounted skeleton of Canis lupus, the grey wolf, to scale with a fossilized skeleton of the Pleistocene wolf Canis dirus, or dire wolf
    †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
  †Castoroides
• Celtis
• Cervus
  • †Cervus elaphus
• Chaetura
  • †Chaetura pelagica
• Chrysemys
• Clethrionomys
  • †Clethrionomys gapperi
• Colaptes
  • †Colaptes auratus
• Coluber
• Corbula
  • †Corbula subcompressa
• 

  Fossilized skeleton preserved in situ (upper left, 2) of the Miocene-Pliocene horse Cormohipparion
  †Cormohipparion – or unidentified comparable form
• Coturnicops
  • †Coturnicops noveboracensis
• Crassatella
  • †Crassatella gabbi
• Crotalus
• Cucullaea
  • †Cucullaea saffordi
• Cyanocitta
  • †Cyanocitta cristata
• Desmognathus
• Didelphis
  • †Didelphis virginiana
• †Diplotropis
  • †Diplotropis claybornensis – type locality for species
• †Ectopistes
  • 

    Taxidermied male Ectopistes migratorius, or passenger pigeon
    †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
  • †Equus complicatus
  • †Equus leidyi
• Eremophila
  • †Eremophila alpestris
• Erethizon
  • †Erethizon dorsatum
• Falco
  • 

    A living Falco sparverius, or American kestrel
    †Falco sparverius
• †Folindusia
  • †Folindusia wilcoxiana
• †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
  • †Knightiophyllum wilcoxianum
• †Laevibuccinum
  • †Laevibuccinum constrictum
• Lepus
  • †Lepus americanus
• Lontra
  • †Lontra canadensis
• Lynx
  • †Lynx rufus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Machairodus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Mammut
  • †Mammut americanum
• †Mammuthus
  • 

    Life restorations of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon (right), and a Mammuthus primigenius, or wooly mammoth (left)
    †Mammuthus primigenius
• Marmota
  • †Marmota monax
• †Mazzalina – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Mazzalina impressa
• †Megatylopus – or unidentified comparable form
• Melanerpes
  • †Melanerpes carolinus
• †Melolonthites
  • †Melolonthites collinsi – type locality for species
• Mephitis
  • 

    A living Mephitis mephitis, or striped skunk
    †Mephitis mephitis
• Mesalia
  • †Mesalia hardemanensis
  • †Mesalia pumila
• Microtus
  • †Microtus pennsylvanicus
  • †Microtus xanthognathus
• †Mylohyus
  • †Mylohyus fossilis
• Natica – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †Natica saffordia
• Neotoma
  • †Neotoma floridana
• Notophthalmus
• Nuculana
  • †Nuculana hannahae
  • †Nuculana saffordana
• Odocoileus
  • 

    A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer
    †Odocoileus virginianus
• Ondatra
  • †Ondatra zibethicus
• Orthoyoldia
  • †Orthoyoldia kindlei
• Ostrea
  • †Ostrea crenulimarginata
  • †Ostrea pulaskensis
• †Otiorhynchites
  • †Otiorhynchites wilcoxianus
• †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
  †Paramylodon
• Pedioecetes
  • †Pedioecetes phasianellus
• Perisoreus
  • †Perisoreus canadensis
• Phenacomys
  • †Phenacomys intermedius
• Pholadomya
  • †Pholadomya mauryi
• Picoides
  • †Picoides villosus
• Pinicola
  • †Pinicola enucleator
• Pinus
• Pipilo
  • †Pipilo erythrophthalmus
• Pitar – tentative report
  • †Pitar ripleyanus
• Pituophis
• Plethodon
• †Plionarctos
• 

  Life restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene red panda Pristinailurus, or Bristol's panda
  †Pristinailurus – type locality for genus
  • †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
  • †Smilodon fatalis
• Sorex
  • †Sorex arcticus
  • †Sorex hoyi
  • †Sorex palustris
• Spermophilus
  • †Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
• Sternotherus
• Strix
  • †Strix varia
• 

  A living 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
  • †Tapirus haysii
  • †Tapirus polkensis
  • †Tapirus veroensis
• 

  Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene rhinoceros Teleoceras
  †Teleoceras
  • †Teleoceras aepysoma – type locality for species
• Tellina
  • †Tellina estellensis
• †Tornatellaea
  • †Tornatellaea quercollis
• Trachemys
• †Trigonobalanoidea – type locality for genus
  • †Trigonobalanoidea americana – type locality for species
• †Tsuga
• Turdus
  • †Turdus migratorius
• Turritella
  • †Turritella saffordi
  • †Turritella tennesseensis
• Tympanuchus
  • †Tympanuchus cupido
• Ulmus
• Ursus
  • 

    A living Ursus americanus, or American black bear
    †Ursus americanus
• Venericardia
  • †Venericardia hijuana
  • †Venericardia mediaplata
• Zonotrichia
  • †Zonotrichia albicollis