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. [e-mail], Marcus Schneck | (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.