List of the prehistoric life of Pennsylvania

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

Main article: List of the Paleozoic life of Pennsylvania

Selected Paleozoic taxa of Pennsylvania

• †Acidaspis
• †Agnostus
• †Alethopteris
• †Amphiscapha
• †Aphthoroblattina
• †Archaeopteris
  • †Archaeopteris halliana
  • †Archaeopteris macilenta
• †Archimylacris
• †Asaphiscus
• †Athyris
  • †Athyris spiriferoides
• †Atrypa
  • †Atrypa reticularis
• †Aviculopecten
  • †Aviculopecten occidentalis
• †Barinophyton
• †Bathyuriscus
• †Bellerophon
• †Bembexia
• †Beyrichoceratoides
• †Blattoidea
• †Bonneterrina

• Life restoration of the Late Devonian placoderm fish Bothriolepis

  †Bothriolepis
• †Byronia
• †Callixylon
• †Camarotoechia
• †Camptostroma
• †Cavusgnathus
• †Ceramopora
• †Ceratopsis
• †Chancelloria
• †Chancia
• †Chonetes
• †Cincinnetina
  • †Cincinnetina multisecta
• †Cleiothyridina
• †Climacograptus

• 

  Coccosteus cuspidatus restoration, shown attacking multiple Palaeospondylus'

  †Coccosteus
• †Coelacanthus
• †Composita
  • †Composita subtilita
• †Conotheca
• †Coosella
• †Coosia
• †Cordaites
• †Cornulites
  • †Cornulites flexuosus
• †Craniops
• †Crepicephalus
• †Ctenerpeton – type locality for genus
• †Ctenopterus
• †Cyclonema

• 

  Fossilized foliage from the Carboniferous seed fern Cyclopteris

  †Cyclopteris
• †Cypricardinia
  • †Cypricardinia indenta
• †Cyrtospirifer
• †Dawsonia
• †Deckera
• †Densignathus – type locality for genus
• †Diplocaulus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Diploceraspis
  • †Diploceraspis burkei
• †Diplograptus

• 

  Life restoration of the Permian synapsid (mammal precursor) Edaphosaurus

  †Edaphosaurus
• †Edmondia
• †Eldredgeops
  • †Eldredgeops rana
• †Elita
• †Elrathia
• †Elrathina
• †Endolobus
• †Eoagnostus
• †Erettopterus
• †Eryops
• †Esmeraldina
• †Euomphalus

• 

  Life restoration of the Devonian lobe-finned fish Eusthenodon

  †Eusthenodon
  • E. bourdoni – type locality for species^[1]

• 

  Fossil of the Late Ordovician-Permian tabulate coral Favosites

  †Favosites
  • †Favosites niagarensis
• †Fenestella
• †Ganorhynchus
• †Genevievella
• †Glaukerpeton – type locality for genus
• †Glyptocrinus
• †Gnathodus
• †Gravicalymene
• †Greenops
• †Hallipterus
• †Hardieopterus
• †Hazelia
• †Helcionella
• †Hexactinellid
• †Hindeodus
• †Holonema
• †Holopea
• †Holoptychius
• †Holoptychus
• †Hughmilleria
• †Hymenocaris

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Devonian four-limbed animal precursor Hynerpeton

  †Hynerpeton – type locality for genus
  • †Hynerpeton bassetti – type locality for species

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Devonian lobe-finned fish Hyneria

  †Hyneria – type locality for genus
  • †Hyneria lindae – type locality for species
• †Hyolithellus
• †Hyolithes
• †Hyolithid
• †Indiana – tentative report
• †Iocrinus
• †Irvingella
• †Isodectes

• 

  Fossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus.

  †Isotelus
  • †Isotelus gigas
• †Kiaeropterus
• †Kingstonia
• †Kladognathus
• †Kootenia
• †Kutorgina
• †Lancastria
• †Langlieria
  • †L. radiatus – type locality for species
  • †L. smalingi – type locality for species^[2]
• †Lepidostrobus
• †Leptomitus
• †Lenisicaris

  • 

    Appendage of the Cambrian radiodont Lenisicaris

    †L. pennsylvanica – type locality for species
• Lingula
• †Lingulella
• †Llanoaspidella – type locality for genus
• †Llanoaspis – tentative report
• †Lonchocephalus

• 

  Life restoration of the Permian snake-like amphibian Lysorophus showing speculative egg-coiling behavior

  †Lysorophus
• †Margaretia
• †Martinia
• †Megalograptus – tentative report
• †Megamolgophis
• †Metacoceras
• †Michelinoceras
• †Micromitra
• †Mimagoniatites – tentative report
• †Mucrospirifer
  • †Mucrospirifer mucronatus
• †Nanahughmilleria
• †Naticopsis

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Carboniferous-Permian brachiopod Neospirifer

  †Neospirifer
  • †Neospirifer cameratus
• †Neuropteris
• †Nisusia
• Nucula
• †Ogygopsis
• †Olenellus
• †Olenoides
  • †Olenoides serratus
• †Orthacanthus
• †Orthoceras
• †Orthotheca
• †Oryctocephalus

• 

  Restoration

  †Osteolepis
• †Oulodus
• †Ozarkodina
• †Paedeumias
• †Pagetia
• †Paladin
• †Panenka
• †Parahughmilleria
• †Paraspirifer
• †Paterina
• †Pelagiella
• †Pemphigaspis
• †Pentremites
• †Peronopsis
• †Petalodus

• 

  Fossil of the Devonian trilobite Phacops rana

  †Phacops
• Pinna
• †Platyceras
• †Pleurodictyum
• †Proetus
• †Protobarinophyton
• †Protocaris
• †Protospongia – tentative report
• †Pugnax
• †Quasillites
• †Rhinocarcinosoma
• †Rhodea
• †Ribeiria
• †Ruedemannipterus
• †Salterella

• 

  Fossilized fin of the Devonian lobe-finned fish Sauripterus

  †Sauripterus
  • †Sauripterus taylori
• †Schaefferia (Paleozoic plant) – or unidentified comparable form
• †Schizodiscus
• †Sciadophyton
• †Selkirkia
• †Sidneyia
• †Sigillaria
• †Solenochilus
• †Sowerbyella
• †Spathognathodus
• †Spirifer
• †Spyroceras
• †Strophomena
• †Taeniocrada
• †Tentaculites

• 

  Diagram of the branches of the Middle-Late Devonian vascular plant Tetraxylopteris

  †Tetraxylopteris
• †Titusvillia – type locality for genus
• †Triarthrus
• †Tricrepicephalus
• †Trimerus
• †Tubulella
• †Tuzoia
• †Urasterella
• †Vinella
• †Wanneria
• †Wilkingia
• †Worthenia
• †Yochelcionella

Mesozoic

• †Anchisauripus
  • †Anchisauripus gwyneddensis – type locality for species
  • †Anchisauripus poolei – type locality for species
  • †Anchisauripus sillimani

• 

  Fossil (right) of the Early Jurassic dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Anomoepus

  †Anomoepus
  • †Anomoepus gracillimus
• †Apatopus
• †Atreipus
  • †Atreipus milfordensis
• †Batrachopus
  • †Batrachopus gracilis
• †Belodon
  • †Belodon priscus
• †Brachychirotherium
• †Brontozoum
  • †Brontozoum sillimanium
• †Calamops – type locality for genus
  • †Calamops paludosus – type locality for species
• †Chirotherium
  • †Chirotherium lulli
  • †Chirotherium parvum

• 

  Fossil of the Late Triassic shark Carinacanthus

  †Carinacanthus – type locality for genus
  • †Carinacanthus jepseni – type locality for species
• †Cionichthys
• †Clepsysaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Clepsysaurus pennsylvanicus – type locality for species
  • †Clepsysaurus veatleianus
• †Dinophyton

• 

  Fossil of the Late Triassic coelacanth Diplurus

  †Diplurus
  • †Diplurus longicaudatus
• †Dipterus
  • †Dipterus redfieldi
• †Eubrontes
  • †Eubrontes giganteus
• †Grallator
  • †Grallator cuneatus
  • †Grallator tenuis
• †Gwyneddichnium – type locality for genus
  • †Gwyneddichnium majore – type locality for species
• †Gwyneddosaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Gwyneddosaurus erici – type locality for species
• †Koskinonodon
  • †Koskinonodon perfectus

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Middle Triassic amphibian Mastodonsaurus

  †Mastodonsaurus
  • †Mastodonsaurus durus – type locality for species
• †Orthodactylus
  • †Orthodactylus howelli – type locality for species
• †Otozoum – tentative report
  • †Otozoum minus
• †Pagiophyllum
• †Palaeoctonus
  • †Palaeoctonus appalachianus
• †Palaeosaurus
  • †Palaeosaurus fraserianus – type locality for species
• †Platypterna
  • †Platypterna lockatong – type locality for species
• †Pterodactylus
  • †Pterodactylus longispinis – type locality for species
• †Revueltosaurus
• †Rhynchosauroides
  • †Rhynchosauroides brunswickii
  • †Rhynchosauroides hyperbates

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Triassic phytosaur Rutiodon

  †Rutiodon
  • †Rutiodon carolinensis
• †Scoyenia
• †Sphodrosaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Sphodrosaurus pennsylvanicus – type locality for species
• †Suchoprion
  • †Suchoprion aulacodus
  • †Suchoprion cyphodon
• †Synorichthys
  • †S. cf. stewarti
• †Turseodus

Cenozoic

• Acidota
  • †Acidota crenata
  • †Acidota quadrata

• 

  Illustration of an Aegialia dung beetle

  Aegialia
• Agonum
  • †Agonum affine
  • †Agonum consimile
  • †Agonum gratiosum
  • †Agonum quinquepunctatum
  • †Agonum simile
• Amara
• Apalone
  • †Apalone mutica – tentative report
• Aphodius
  • †Aphodius precursor – type locality for species
• Apion

• 

  Restoration of an Arctodus, or short-faced bear, with a human to scale

  †Arctodus
  • †Arctodus pristinus – type locality for species
• Arpedium
  • †Arpedium cribratum
• †Ateuchus – tentative report
• Bembidion
  • †Bembidion anguliferum group informal
  • †Bembidion fortestriatum
  • †Bembidion frontale
  • †Bembidion incertum group informal
  • †Bembidion morulum
  • †Bembidion mutatum
  • †Bembidion pseudocautum
  • †Bembidion versicolor – or unidentified comparable form
• Blarina

  • 

    A living Blarina brevicauda, or northern short-tailed shrew

    †Blarina brevicauda – type locality for species
  • †Blarina carolinensis
• Bledius
• Blethisa
  • †Blethisa catenaria
• Boreaphilus
  • †Boreaphilus henningianus
• †Brachyprotoma
  • †Brachyprotoma obtusata – type locality for species
• Bufo
  • †Bufo americanus
• Canis
  • †Canis armbrusteri

  • 

    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
• Carabus
  • †Carabus maeander
• †Cariacus
  • †Cariacus laevicornis – type locality for species
• Carphoborus
  • †Carphoborus andersoni
• Castor
  • †Castor canadensis
• †Castoroides
  • †Castoroides ohioensis
• Catops
• †Cervalces
• Chlaenius
  • †Chlaenius punctulatus – type locality for species
• Colinus
  • †Colinus virginianus
• Coluber
  • †Coluber acuminatus – type locality for species
  • †Coluber constrictor
• Colymbetes

• 

  A living Crocuta crocuta, or spotted hyena

  Crocuta
  • †Crocuta inexpectatus – type locality for species
• Crotalus
  • †Crotalus horridus
• Curimopsis
  • †Curimopsis moosilauke – or unidentified comparable form
• †Cychrus
  • †Cychrus minor – type locality for species
  • †Cychrus wheatleyi – type locality for species
• Cymindis
  • †Cymindis aurora – type locality for species
  • †Cymindis cribricollis
• Cytilus
  • †Cytilus alternatus

• 

  A preserved Diacheila ground beetle

  Diacheila
  • †Diacheila arctica
• Dicaelus
  • †Dicaelus alutaceus – type locality for species
• Donacia
• Dyschirius
  • †Dyschirius integer group informal
  • †Dyschirius melancholicus
• Elaphe
  • †Elaphe vulpina
• Elaphrus
  • †Elaphrus americanus
  • †Elaphrus clairvillei
  • †Elaphrus lapponicus
• Emydoidea

  • 

    A living Emys blandingii, or Blanding's turtle

    †Emydoidea blandingii
• Enochrus
• Equus
  • †Equus complicatus
  • †Equus pectinatus
• Erethizon
  • †Erethizon dorsatum
• Eucnecosum
  • †Eucnecosum brunnescens
• Glyptemys
  • †Glyptemys insculpta
• Gulo

  • 

    A living Gulo gulo, or wolverine

    †Gulo gulo
• Gymnusa
• Harpalus
• Helophorus
  • †Helophorus sempervarians
  • †Helophorus tuberculatus
• †Hesperotestudo
  • †Hesperotestudo percrassa – type locality for species
• Heterodon
  • †Heterodon platyrhinos
• Holoboreaphilus
  • †Holoboreaphilus nordenskioldi
• Homo
  • †Homo sapiens
• Hydraena
• Hydroporus
• Hyla

  • 

    A living Pseudacris crucifer (formerly Hyla crucifer), or spring peeper

    †Hyla crucifer
• Lampropeltis
  • †Lampropeltis triangulum
• Lasiopodomys – tentative report
• Lesteva
  • †Lesteva pallipes
• Lontra
  • †Lontra canadensis
• Loricera
  • †Loricera pilicornis
• Lynx
  • †Lynx calcaratus – type locality for species
• †Mammut
  • †Mammut americanum
• †Mammuthus

  • 

    Life restorations of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon (right), and a Mammuthus primigenius, or wooly mammoth (left)

    †Mammuthus primigenius
• Mantura
• Marmota
  • †Marmota monax – or unidentified comparable form
• †Megalonyx
  • †Megalonyx wheatleyi
• Meleagris
  • †Meleagris gallopavo
• Mephitis
  • †Mephitis mephitis
• Microedus
  • †Microedus austinianus
• Microtus
  • †Microtus guildayi – or unidentified comparable form

• 

  Restoration of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Miracinonyx, or American cheetah

  †Miracinonyx
  • †Miracinonyx inexpectatus – or unidentified comparable form
• Mustela
• Mycetoporus
• †Mylohyus
  • †Mylohyus fossilis
• Myotis
• Napaeozapus
  • †Napaeozapus insignis
• Natrix

• 

  A living Neofiber, or round-tailed muskrat

  Neofiber
  • †Neofiber diluvianus – type locality for species
• Nerodia
  • †Nerodia sipedon
• Nitidotachinus
  • †Nitidotachinus tachyporoides
• Notaris
  • †Notaris aethiops
• Notiophilus
• Ochthebius
• Odocoileus

  • 

    A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer

    †Odocoileus virginianus
• Olophrum
  • †Olophrum boreale
  • †Olophrum consimile
  • †Olophrum latum
  • †Olophrum rotundicolle
• Ondatra
  • †Ondatra idahoensis – type locality for species
• Opheodrys
  • †Opheodrys vernalis
• †Osmotherium – type locality for genus
  • †Osmotherium spelaeum – type locality for species
• Oxytelus
• Panthera
  • †Panthera onca

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Paramylodon

  †Paramylodon
  • †Paramylodon harlani – tentative report
• Parascalops
  • †Parascalops breweri
• Patrobus
  • †Patrobus foveocollis
  • †Patrobus septentrionis
  • †Patrobus stygicus
• Pekania
  • †Pekania diluviana
• Pelenomus
• Peromyscus
  • †Peromyscus leucopus – tentative report
• †Phanaeus
  • †Phanaeus antiquus – type locality for species
• Philonthus
• Phloeotribus
  • †Phloeotribus piceae
• Pitymys
  • †Pitymys cumberlandensis – or unidentified comparable form
• Pityophthorus

• 

  Restoration of a herd of alarmed Miocene-Pleistocene peccaries of the genus Platygonus. Charles R. Knight (1922).

  †Platygonus
  • †Platygonus vetus – type locality for species
• Platynus
  • †Platynus hypolithos
• Podabrus
• Polygraphus
  • †Polygraphus rufipennis
• Pterostichus
  • †Pterostichus laevigatus – type locality for species
  • †Pterostichus patruelis
  • †Pterostichus punctatissimus
• Pycnoglypta
  • †Pycnoglypta aptera
  • †Pycnoglypta lurida
• Quedius
• †Rana
  • †Rana pipiens – or unidentified comparable form
• Scalopus
• Simplocaria

• 

  Life restoration of the Pleistocene-Holocene saber-tooth cat Smilodon

  †Smilodon
  • †Smilodon gracilis – type locality for species
• Sorex
• Sphaeroderus
  • †Sphaeroderus nitidicollis – or unidentified comparable form
• Stenus
• Stereocerus
  • †Stereocerus haematopus
• Sylvilagus
  • †Sylvilagus floridanus
• Synaptomys
  • †Synaptomys cooperi
• Tachinus
  • †Tachinus luridus
• Tamias
  • †Tamias striatus – or unidentified comparable form

• 

  A living Tapirus, or tapir

  Tapirus
  • †Tapirus haysii
  • †Tapirus veroensis
• Taxidea
  • †Taxidea taxus
• Terrapene
  • †Terrapene carolina
• Thamnophis
• Thanatophilus
• Thomomys
  • †Thomomys potomacensis
• Trechus
  • †Trechus crassiscapus
• †Uncia
  • †Uncia mercerii – type locality for species
• Urocyon

  • 

    A living Urocyon cinereoargenteus, or gray fox

    †Urocyon cinereoargenteus
• Ursus
  • †Ursus americanus
• Vulpes
• Zapus
  • †Zapus hudsonius

References

1. Schneck, Marcus (2022-03-10). "Pa. fossil site yields new species of prehistoric creature". pennlive. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
2. Storz, Emily (2022-04-26). "New Species of Ancient Fish Discovered along Pennsylvania Roadside". Drexel News Blog. Retrieved 2024-09-14.

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