List of the prehistoric life of New Jersey

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

• † Archaeocyathus
• † Centroceras
  • † Centroceras marcellense
• † Cladopora
• † Coenites
• † Cordilleracyathus – tentative report

• 

  Fossil of the Late Ordovician-Permian tabulate coral Favosites

  † Favosites
• † Leiorhynchus
  • † Leiorhynchus limitare
• † Leptodesma
  • † Leptodesma laevis
• † Ophileta – type locality for genus
  • † Ophileta polygyratus – type locality for species
• † Styliolina
  • † Styliolina fissurella

Mesozoic

Main article: List of the Mesozoic life of New Jersey

Selected Mesozoic taxa of New Jersey

• Acipenser
• Acteon
• † Adocus – type locality for genus

  • 

    Shell and skeleton of Adocus beatus, Peabody Museum of Natural History

    † Adocus beatus – type locality for species
• † Aenona
• † Agerostrea
• † Allognathosuchus – or unidentified related form
• Amauropsis
• Amia
• † Amyda
• † Anatalavis
  • † Anatalavis rex – type locality for species
• † Anchisauripus
  • † Anchisauripus tuberosus
• † Ankylosaurus
• † Anomia
• † Anomoeodus

• 

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

  † Anomoepus
• † Apatopus
• † Arambourgiania – or unidentified comparable form
• Arca
• † Argoides
• Astarte
• Astrangia
• Atractosteus
• † Atreipus
• Attagenus
• † Avellana
• † Axonoceras
• † Baculites
  • † Baculites haresi
  • † Baculites ovatus
  • † Baculites scotti – tentative report
• † Baikuris
  • † Baikuris casei – type locality for species
• Barbatia
• † Belemnitella
  • † Belemnitella americana
• Bernaya
• † Bottosaurus
  • † Bottosaurus harlani – type locality for species
• Botula
  • † Botula ripleyana
• Brachaelurus
• † Brachychampsa – or unidentified comparable form
• † Brontozoum

• 

  Amber-entombed specimen of the Late Cretaceous ant Brownimecia

  † Brownimecia – type locality for genus
  • † Brownimecia clavata – type locality for species
• Caestocorbula
  • † Caestocorbula crassaplica
  • † Caestocorbula crassiplica
  • † Caestocorbula percompressa
• Callianassa
  • † Callianassa mortoni
• † Calliomphalus
  • † Calliomphalus americanus
• Cardita
• † Catopygus
• † Ceratodus
• Cerithium
• Cheilotrichia
• † Chelone
• Chiloscyllium
• † Chirotherium
  • † Chirotherium lulli – type locality for species
• Chlamys
• † Cimoliasaurus

• 

  Life restoration of the face of the Late Cretaceous multituberculate mammal Cimolomys

  † Cimolomys – or unidentified comparable form
  • † Cimolomys clarki
• † Cirroceras
• Clavagella
• † Clidastes
• Cliona
• † Coelosaurus
  • † Coelosaurus antiquus – type locality for species
• † Coelurosaurichnus
• Corbula
• † Corsochelys
• Crassostrea
• † Crenella
  • † Crenella elegantula
  • † Crenella serica
• † Cretolamna
  • † Cretolamna appendiculata

• 

  Restoration of the Late Cretaceous shark Cretoxyrhina , or the Ginsu shark

  † Cretoxyrhina
  • † Cretoxyrhina mantelli
• † Crocodilus
• Cucullaea
  • † Cucullaea capax
  • † Cucullaea littlei
• Culicoides
• Cuspidaria
  • † Cuspidaria jerseyensis
• † Cylindracanthus
• † Cymella
• Cyzicus – or unidentified comparable form
• Dasyatis

• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous Alligator relative Deinosuchus

  † Deinosuchus
  • † Deinosuchus rugosus
• † Dentalium
  • † Dentalium leve
• † Didelphodon – or unidentified comparable form
• † Didymoceras
• † Diplocynodon
• † Diplurus – or unidentified comparable form
• † Discoscaphites
  • † Discoscaphites conradi
  • † Discoscaphites gulosus
• † Dolicholatirus
• Dosinia

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous primitive tyrannosaur Dryptosaurus

  † Dryptosaurus – type locality for genus
  • † Dryptosaurus aquilunguis – type locality for species
• Edaphodon
  • † Edaphodon mirificus
• † Edmontosaurus
• † Elasmosaurus
  • † Elasmosaurus orientalis – type locality for species
• † Enchodus
  • † Enchodus gladiolus
• † Epitonium
  • † Epitonium sillimani
• † Euspira
• † Eutrephoceras

• 

  Interior of a fossilized shell of the Jurassic-Cretaceous foam oyster Exogyra

  † Exogyra
  • † Exogyra cancellata
  • † Exogyra costata
  • † Exogyra ponderosa
• Fasciolaria
• † Gegania
• † Gervillia
• Ginglymostoma
• Glossus
• Glycimeris
• Glycymeris
  • † Glycymeris rotundata
• † Gonyaulax
• † Graculavus – type locality for genus
• † Grallator
• † Grimaldiella – type locality for genus
• † Gryphaea

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous duck-billed dinosaur Hadrosaurus

  † Hadrosaurus – type locality for genus
  • † Hadrosaurus cavatus – type locality for species
  • † Hadrosaurus foulkii – type locality for species
  • † Hadrosaurus minor – type locality for species
• † Halisaurus
  • † Halisaurus platyspondylus
• Hemiscyllium
• Heterodontus
• † Hoploparia
• † Hoploscaphites
• † Hybodus
• † Hyposaurus
  • † Hyposaurus rogersii – type locality for species
• † Hypsibema
  • † Hypsibema crassicauda

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Triassic primitive reptile Hypsognathus

  † Hypsognathus – type locality for genus
  • † Hypsognathus fenneri – type locality for species
• † Hypuronector – type locality for genus
  • † Hypuronector limnaios – type locality for species
• † Icarosaurus – type locality for genus
  • † Icarosaurus siefkeri – type locality for species
• † Inoceramus
  • † Inoceramus proximus
• † Ischyodus
  • † Ischyodus bifurcatus
• † Ischyrhiza
  • † Ischyrhiza mira
• † Jeletzkytes
  • † Jeletzkytes nodosus – or unidentified comparable form
• † Jerseyempheria – type locality for genus
• † Kouphichnium
• † Laornis – type locality for genus
  • † Laornis edvardsianus – type locality for species

• 

  Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous alligator relative Leidyosuchus

  † Leidyosuchus
• Leptoconops
• Lima
• Limatula
• † Limonia
• † Linearis
• Linuparus
• † Liodon
• † Lissodus
• Lithophaga
• Lopha
  • † Lopha falcata
  • † Lopha mesenterica

• 

  A living Lunatia moon sea snail

  Lunatia
• Martesia
• † Megalocoelacanthus
  • † Megalocoelacanthus dobiei
• † Menuites
• † Metoicoceras
• † Milnesium
• † Modiolus
  • † Modiolus sedesclaris
  • † Modiolus sedesclarus
• † Morea

• 

  Life restoration of two of the Late Cretaceous Mosasaurus

  † Mosasaurus
  • † Mosasaurus conodon – type locality for species
• † Mytilus – tentative report
• † Neithea
  • † Neithea quinquecostata
• † Nostoceras
• Nucula
  • † Nucula camia
  • † Nucula cuneifrons
  • † Nucula percrassa
• † Odaxosaurus – or unidentified comparable form
• Odontaspis
• Oecobius – tentative report
• † Ophiomorpha
• Orchestina
• † Osteopygis – type locality for genus
• Ostrea
• † Oxyrhina
  • † Oxyrhina desorii

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Pachydiscus

  † Pachydiscus
• Pagurus
• † Palaeoniscus
• † Palaeopagurus – tentative report
• † Palaeotringa – type locality for genus
• Panopea
• † Paracupes
• † Paralbula
• † Paranomia
• † Parrisia – type locality for genus
• † Pecten
• † Peritresius

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Triassic-Pliocene marine bivalve Pholadomya

  Pholadomya
  • † Pholadomya occidentalis
• Pholas
• † Pinna
• † Placenticeras
• † Plagiostoma
• † Plesiosaurus
• Plicatula
• † Plioplatecarpus
  • † Plioplatecarpus depressus – type locality for species
• † Plumalexius – type locality for genus
  • † Plumalexius rasnitsyni – type locality for species
• Polinices
• † Pristis
• † Procolpochelys

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Prognathodon

  † Prognathodon
  • † Prognathodon rapax – type locality for species
• † Protocardia
• † Pseudocorax
• † Pteria
• † Pterotrigonia
  • † Pterotrigonia angulicostata
  • † Pterotrigonia cerulea
  • † Pterotrigonia eufalensis
  • † Pterotrigonia eufaulensis
• † Ptychotrygon
• Pycnodonte
  • † Pycnodonte mutabilis
  • † Pycnodonte vesicularis
• Rangia – tentative report
• Rhinobatos
• † Rhombodus
• Ringicula
  • † Ringicula clarki

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Late Triassic phytosaur Rutiodon

  † Rutiodon
  • † Rutiodon carolinensis
• † Sargana
• † Sauropus
• † Scapanorhynchus
  • † Scapanorhynchus texanus
• † Scaphites
  • † Scaphites hippocrepis
• † Sclerorhynchus
• † Scoyenia
• Segestria – tentative report
• † Semionotus
• Serpula
• † Serratolamna
  • † Serratolamna serrata
• † Spathopria – type locality for genus

• 

  Amber-entombed specimen of the Late Cretaceous ant Sphecomyrma

  † Sphecomyrma – type locality for genus
  • † Sphecomyrma freyi – type locality for species
  • † Sphecomyrma mesaki – type locality for species
• † Sphenodiscus
  • † Sphenodiscus lobatus
• Spondylus
• Squalicorax
  • † Squalicorax kaupi
  • † Squalicorax pristodontus
• Squatina
• † Stegobium
• † Stegomus
• † Stephanodus
• † Steropoides
• † Symmorphus – tentative report
• † Tanytrachelos
  • † Tanytrachelos ahynis
• † Taphrosaurus
• Tellina
• † Telmatornis – type locality for genus
• Tenagodus
• † Tenea

• 

  Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene gavial relative Thoracosaurus

  † Thoracosaurus
• † Tomodon – type locality for genus
  • † Tomodon horrificus – type locality for species
• Trachycardium
  • † Trachycardium eufaulensis
• † Trigonia
• Trionyx
• Turbinella
• Turbonilla
• Turritella
  • † Turritella bilira
  • † Turritella trilira
  • † Turritella vertebroides
• † Volviceramus
• Vulsella – or unidentified comparable form
• Xanthosia

• 

  Life restoration of the Cretaceous bony fish Xiphactinus

  † Xiphactinus
  • † Xiphactinus audax

Cenozoic

Main article: List of the Cenozoic life of New Jersey

Selected Cenozoic taxa of New Jersey

• 

  Fossilized teeth of the Permian-Paleocene cartilaginous fish Acrodus

  † Acrodus
• Acteocina
• Aetobatus
• Amyda
• Anachis
• Anadara
  • † Anadara ovalis
  • † Anadara transversa
• Angulus
• Anomia
  • † Anomia simplex
• Arca
• Architectonica
• Argopecten
  • † Argopecten gibbus

  • 

    A living Argopecten irradians (formerly Aequipecten irradians), or Atlantic bay scallop

    † Argopecten irradians
• Argyrotheca
• Astarte
  • † Astarte castanea
• Astrangia
  • † Astrangia danae
• Astyris
  • † Astyris lunata
• Athleta
• Atrina
• † Aturia
• Balanophyllia
• Balanus
• Barbatia
• Barnea
• Bison
• † Bonellitia – or unidentified comparable form
• † Bootherium

  • 

    Fossilized skeleton of the Pleistocene-Holocene bovid Bootherium bombifrons , or Harlan's musk ox.

    † Bootherium bombifrons
• Buccinum
  • † Buccinum undatum
• Busycon
  • † Busycon carica
  • † Busycon perversum
• Busycotypus
  • † Busycotypus canaliculatus
• Cadulus
• † Calappilia
• Callianassa – tentative report
• Calliostoma
• Calyptraea

• 

  A living Carcharias sand tiger shark

  Carcharias
• Carcharodon
  • † Carcharodon hastalis
• Cardita
• Carditamera
• Cardites
• † Castoroides
• † Catopygus
• Cerithiopsis
  • † Cerithiopsis emersonii

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene cervid Cervalces , or the stag moose

  † Cervalces
• Chaetopleura
  • † Chaetopleura apiculata
• Chama
  • † Chama congregata
• Chelone
• † Chesapecten
• Chlamys
• Cidaris
• † Cistella
• Clavilithes
• Clementia
• Cliona – tentative report

• 

  Fossilized shell of a Conus cone snail

  Conus
• Corbula
• † Coscinopleura
  • † Crassinella lunulata
• Crassostrea
  • † Crassostrea virginica
• Crenella
  • † Crenella glandula
• Crepidula
  • † Crepidula convexa
  • † Crepidula fornicata
  • † Crepidula plana
• † Cretolamna
  • † Cretolamna appendiculata
• † Crocodilus

• 

  A living Crocodylus

  Crocodylus
• Crucibulum
  • † Crucibulum striatum
• Cucullaea
• Cumingia
• Cuspidaria
• Cyclocardia
• Cylichna
• † Cylindracanthus
• Cythara – tentative report
• Cytherea
• Dasyatis
• Dentalium
• Diastoma
• † Diatryma

• 

  Restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene hornless rhinoceros Diceratherium . Robert Bruce Horsfall (1913).

  † Diceratherium
• Diodora
  • † Diplodonta punctata
• Discinisca
• † Dolicholatirus
• Donax
  • † Donax fossor
• Dosinia
• Echinarachnius
• † Echinocorys
• † Echinopsis
• † Ecphora
• Edaphodon
• † Enchodus
• Ensis
  • † Ensis directus
• † Eosphargis

• 

  Fossilized cranium in multiple views of the Paleocene-Eocene gavial relative Eosuchus

  † Eosuchus
• Epitonium
  • † Epitonium humphreysii
• Equus
• Ervilia
• Eupleura
  • † Eupleura caudata
• Euspira
  • † Euspira heros
  • † Euspira triseriata
• † Eutrephoceras
• Fasciolaria – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• Flabellum
• Fossarus – tentative report

• 

  A living Galeocerdo cuvier , or tiger shark

  Galeocerdo
  • † Galeocerdo aduncus
• Galeodea
• Gemma
  • † Gemma gemma
• Geukensia
  • † Geukensia demissa
• Ginglymostoma
• Glans
• † Glomerula
• Glossus
• Glycymeris
  • † Glycymeris subaustralis
• † Gorgonella
• † Gryphaea
• † Hamulus – or unidentified comparable form
• Haustator – or unidentified comparable form
• Hemipristis

  • 

    Fossilized teeth of the Miocene weasel shark Hemipristis serra

    † Hemipristis serra
• Heptranchias
  • † Heptranchias howelli – type locality for species
• Hespererato
• Hexanchus
• Hiatella
  • † Hiatella arctica
• Hydroides
• † Hyposaurus – type locality for genus
  • † Hyposaurus rogersii – type locality for species
• Ilyanassa
  • † Ilyanassa obsoleta
  • † Ilyanassa trivittata
• Ischadium
  • † Ischadium recurvum

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Middle Jurassic-Miocene Chimaera relative Ischyodus

  † Ischyodus
• † Ischyrhiza
  • † Ischyrhiza mira
• Isognomon
• Isurus
• Kurtziella
  • † Kurtziella cerina
• Laevicardium
  • † Laevicardium mortoni
• Lamna
• Latirus
• Libinia

  • 

    Illustration of a living Libinia emarginata , or portly spider crab

    † Libinia emarginata
• † Linthia
• Lithophaga
• Littoraria
  • † Littoraria irrorata
• Lunatia
• Lunularia
• Macoma
  • † Macoma balthica
• Macrocallista
• Mactra
• † Mammut
  • † Mammut americanum
• † Mammuthus

• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Megalonyx

  † Megalonyx
• Melampus
  • † Melampus bidentatus
• Melanella
• † Menoceras
• Mercenaria
  • † Mercenaria mercenaria
• Mesodesma
• Mitrella
• Modiolus
  • † Modiolus modiolus
• Morus
• Mulinia
  • † Mulinia lateralis
• Murex
• Murexiella
• † Mya
  • † Mya arenaria

• 

  Two living Myliobatis eagle rays

  Myliobatis
• Mytilus
  • † Mytilus edulis
• Nassarius
  • † Nassarius acutus
  • † Nassarius vibex
• Natica – or unidentified comparable form
• Neptunea
  • † Neptunea lyrata
• Neverita

• 

  Exterior of the shell of a modern specimen of the Early Ordovician-modern marine bivalve Nucula

  Nucula
  • † Nucula proxima
• Odobenus
  • † Odobenus rosmarus
• Odontaspis
• Olivella
  • † Olivella mutica
• † Ophiocoma – tentative report
• Ophiomusium
• Ostrea
  • † Ostrea compressirostra
• † Otodus

  • 

    Diagram illustrating the largest (grey) and most conservative (red) size estimates of the Miocene-Pliocene shark Carcharocles megalodon (sometimes Carcharodon or Otodusmegalodon) with a whale shark (violet), great white shark (green), and anachronistic human (black) to scale

    † Otodus megalodon
• Ovibos
  • † Ovibos moschatus
• † Oxyrhina
  • † Oxyrhina desorii
• † Palaeocarcharodon
• † Palaeophis
• Paliurus
• Pandora
• Panopea
• Panopeus
• Pecten
• Penion – or unidentified comparable form

• 

  Life restoration of the Middle Triassic-Eocene crinoid ("sea lily") Pentacrinites

  † Pentacrinites
• † Peritresius
• † Peronidella
• Petricola
  • † Petricola pholadiformis
• Phoca
• Phyllodus
• Phyllonotus
• Physeter
• Pinna
• Pitar
  • † Pitar morrhuanus
• † Plagiochasma
• Pleuromeris
  • † Pleuromeris tridentata

• 

  Fossilized shell of a Pleurotomaria slit snail

  Pleurotomaria
• Plicatula
  • † Plicatula gibbosa
• Polinices
• Pristis
• † Prosynthetoceras
• Protula
• Psammechinus
• Pseudoliva
• Pteria – tentative report

• 

  Fossilized skull of the Eocene sea turtle Puppigerus . The shell belongs to another kind of turtle.

  † Puppigerus
• Pycnodonte
• Pyrgocythara
  • † Pyrgocythara plicosa
• Rangia
• Rangifer
• Rhinoptera
• † Rhizocrinus
• † Rhombodus
• † Rotularia
• Scaphella

• 

  Group of living Scyliorhinus catsharks

  Scyliorhinus
• Seila
  • † Seila adamsii
• Semele
• Serpula
• Serpulorbis
• Sinum
  • † Sinum perspectivum
• Siphonalia
• †Solarium
• Solenosteira
  • † Solenosteira cancellaria
• † Sphyraenodus

• 

  Life restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon

  † Squalodon – type locality for genus
• Squalus
• Squatina
• Stellatoma
  • † Stellatoma stellata
• Stewartia
• Stramonita
• † Striatolamia
• Strioterebrum
• Tagelus
• † Tapiravus
• Tapirus
• Tectonatica
  • † Tectonatica pusilla
• Tellina
• Tenagodus – tentative report
• † Tenea
• Teredo

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Oligocene-Miocene gavial relative Thecachampsa

  † Thecachampsa
  • † Thecachampsa antiqua
• † Thoracosaurus
• Tibia
• Trichechus
• Triphora
• Trochita
• Turbonilla
  • † Turbonilla interrupta
• Turris – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• Turritella
  • † Turritella vertebroides
• Tylocidaris
• Tympanuchus
• Urosalpinx
  • † Urosalpinx cinerea
• † Veleda
• Venericardia
• Venus
• Xenophora

• 

  A living Xiphias , or swordfish

  Xiphias
• Yoldia
• † Zygaena

References

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database" . Retrieved 7 August 2017.