List of the prehistoric life of Alabama facts for kids

Alabama is a state in the southeastern United States. It has a rich history of ancient life, with many amazing fossils found there. These fossils tell us about the plants and animals that lived in Alabama millions of years ago, long before humans existed. Scientists study these fossils to understand how life on Earth has changed over time. This list explores some of the incredible prehistoric creatures whose remains have been discovered in Alabama.

Ancient Life from the Paleozoic Era

The Paleozoic Era was a very long time ago, lasting from about 541 to 252 million years ago. During this era, life mostly lived in the oceans, but plants and animals also started to move onto land. Alabama has many fossils from this period, showing us what these early life forms looked like.

Plants of the Paleozoic Era

Some of the most common plant fossils found in Alabama from the Paleozoic Era are from ancient ferns and tree-like plants.

• Alethopteris: This was a type of ancient seed fern. Its fronds (leaves) looked a bit like modern ferns.

Fossilized fronds of the Carboniferous-Early Cretaceous seed fern Alethopteris

• Calamites: These were giant relatives of modern horsetails. They grew tall like trees and had segmented stems.

Fossilized stems from the Carboniferous-Permian horsetail relative Calamites

• Lepidodendron: Often called "scale trees," these were huge club mosses that could grow very tall. Their trunks had a unique scale-like pattern.

Restoration of the Carboniferous-Late Triassic club moss relative Lepidodendron'. Eli Heimans (1911).

• Sigillaria: Another type of giant club moss, similar to Lepidodendron. They also had tall, scarred trunks.

Fossilized stump of the Carboniferous-Permian club moss relative Sigillaria

• Sphenopteris: This was another group of ancient seed ferns with delicate, fern-like leaves.

Fossilized foliage of the Late-Devonian-Cretaceous seed fern Sphenopteris

Animals of the Paleozoic Era

Many different types of animals lived in Alabama during the Paleozoic Era, especially in the ancient seas.

• Ctenacanthus: This was an ancient shark that lived during the Carboniferous period. Fossils of its spines and teeth have been found.

Fossil of the Carboniferous shark Ctenacanthus

• Paladin: Trilobites were ancient marine creatures with hard, segmented bodies. They are related to modern crabs and insects.
• Pentremites: These were small, star-shaped marine animals related to starfish and sea urchins. They lived on the seafloor.

Amazing Creatures of the Mesozoic Era

The Mesozoic Era, often called the "Age of Dinosaurs," lasted from about 252 to 66 million years ago. During this time, dinosaurs roamed the land, and huge marine reptiles swam in the seas. Alabama has important fossils from this era, especially from the Late Cretaceous period.

Dinosaurs and Other Land Animals

While Alabama is not famous for many dinosaur fossils, some important discoveries have been made.

• Appalachiosaurus: This was a primitive tyrannosaur, a meat-eating dinosaur, that lived in what is now eastern North America. Its fossils were first found in Alabama.

Fossilized skull and skeleton of the Late Cretaceous primitive tyrannosaur Appalachiosaurus

• Eotrachodon: This was an early type of duck-billed dinosaur (hadrosaur). Its discovery in Alabama helped scientists understand how duck-billed dinosaurs evolved.

Restoration of the Late Cretaceous duck-billed dinosaur Eotrachodon

• Lophorhothon: Another duck-billed dinosaur, Lophorhothon was one of the first dinosaurs found in eastern North America. Its skull had a small crest.

Illustration of a fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous duck-billed dinosaur Lophorhothon

Marine Reptiles and Fish

The ancient seas covering Alabama during the Mesozoic Era were home to many large and fearsome marine animals.

• Baculites: These were straight-shelled ammonites, a type of ancient cephalopod related to modern squid and octopuses. Their shells grew in a straight line instead of a coil.

Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Baculites

• Belonostomus: This was a long, slender bony fish that lived in the seas. It had a pointed snout.

Fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Belonostomus

• Clidastes: A type of mosasaur, which were large, powerful marine reptiles. Clidastes was a fast swimmer with a long, snake-like body.

Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaurid Clidastes

• Cretoxyrhina: Also known as the "Ginsu shark," this was a huge and powerful shark, similar in size to a modern great white shark. Its teeth were very sharp.

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

• Globidens: This mosasaur had unique, globe-shaped teeth, perfect for crushing the shells of clams and other hard-shelled prey. Its fossils were first found in Alabama.

Illustration of a reconstructed skull of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Globidens

• Pachyrhizodus: A large, predatory bony fish with sharp teeth. It was a fast swimmer in the ancient oceans.

Fossilized skeletons of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Pachyrhizodus

• Polycotylus: This was a type of plesiosaur, a marine reptile with a short neck and large flippers. It was a powerful swimmer.

Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous polycotylid plesiosaur Polycotylus giving birth

• Protostega: One of the largest sea turtles that ever lived. It could grow up to 10 feet long.
• Saurodon: Another large, predatory bony fish from the Late Cretaceous. It had a long, pointed snout and sharp teeth.

Restoration of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Saurodon

• Selmasaurus: This was another type of mosasaur, first discovered in Alabama. It was a medium-sized marine reptile.

Mounted fossilized skull and neck of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Selmasaurus

• Squalicorax: Known as the "crow shark," this shark was a scavenger and predator. Its serrated teeth are commonly found as fossils.

Restoration of the Late Cretaceous shark Squalicorax

• Toxochelys: A common sea turtle from the Late Cretaceous period. It was smaller than Protostega.

Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous sea turtle Toxochelys

• Tylosaurus: One of the largest and most powerful mosasaurs. It was a top predator in the Late Cretaceous seas.

Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Tylosaurus

• Xiphactinus: A giant, predatory bony fish that could grow up to 17 feet long. It was known for eating other large fish.

Life in the Cenozoic Era

The Cenozoic Era began about 66 million years ago and continues to the present day. This is often called the "Age of Mammals" because mammals became very large and diverse during this time. Alabama has many fossils from this era, including ancient whales, giant sloths, and early horses.

Ancient Mammals

Many fascinating mammals lived in Alabama during the Cenozoic Era.

• Arctodus: This was the short-faced bear, one of the largest land predators in North America during the Ice Age.
• Basilosaurus: An ancient whale that lived in the Eocene epoch. Despite its name, which means "king lizard," it was a mammal. It had a long, snake-like body.

Life restoration of a pod of the Eocene whale Basilosaurus

• Castoroides: This was a giant beaver that lived during the Ice Age. It was much larger than modern beavers, growing up to 8 feet long.

Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene giant beaver Castoroides

• Coryphodon: A large, plant-eating mammal that lived in the Paleocene and Eocene epochs. It looked a bit like a hippopotamus.

Life restoration of the Paleocene-Eocene pantodont mammal Coryphodon'. Heinrich Harder (1920).

• Cynthiacetus: Another ancient whale from the Eocene, similar to Basilosaurus but smaller.

Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Eocene whale Cynthiacetus

• Dasypus: This genus includes modern armadillos. Ancient armadillos also lived in Alabama.
• Dinohyus: A huge, pig-like mammal from the Miocene epoch, sometimes called a "hell pig."
• Georgiacetus: An early whale that lived in the Eocene. Its fossils help us understand how whales evolved from land animals.

Life restoration of the Eocene whale Georgiacetus

• Mammut: This genus includes the American mastodon, a large, elephant-like mammal that lived during the Ice Age.

Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon

• Mammuthus: This genus includes mammoths, another type of elephant-like mammal from the Ice Age.
• Megalonyx: This was a giant ground sloth, a huge, slow-moving mammal that lived during the Ice Age.
• Mylohyus: This was a type of peccary, a pig-like animal, that lived during the Pliocene and Holocene epochs.

Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Holocene peccary Mylohyus

• Nannippus: A small, three-toed horse that lived during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.
• Neohipparion: Another ancient horse, similar to Nannippus, with three toes.

Life restoration of a herd of Neohipparion'. Robert Bruce Horsfall (1913).

• Protohippus: An early horse from the Miocene epoch, also with three toes.

Fossilized skeleton of the Miocene horse Protohippus

• Rangifer: This genus includes modern reindeer or caribou. Their fossils have been found in Alabama from the Ice Age.

A living Rangifer tarandus, or reindeer

• Smilodon: This is the famous saber-toothed cat, a powerful predator with long, sharp canine teeth that lived during the Ice Age.

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

• Synthetoceras: A unique mammal from the Miocene with three horns on its head.
• Tapirus: This genus includes modern tapirs. Ancient tapirs also lived in Alabama.
• Teleoceras: A rhinoceros that lived during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. It was short-legged and barrel-bodied, similar to a hippopotamus.

Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene rhinoceros Teleoceras

• Ursus: This genus includes modern bears, like the American black bear, whose ancient relatives lived in Alabama.
• Zygorhiza: Another type of ancient whale from the Eocene, related to Basilosaurus.

Life restoration of the Eocene whale Zygorhiza

Birds, Reptiles, and Fish

Alabama's Cenozoic fossils also include many birds, reptiles, and fish.

• Accipiter: This genus includes modern hawks, like the sharp-shinned hawk.

Living adult (center) and chick (lower right) Accipiter striatus, or sharp-shinned hawks

• Alopias: This genus includes modern thresher sharks, known for their long tails.

A living Alopias, or thresher shark

• Branta: This genus includes modern geese, like the Canada goose.

A living Branta canadensis, or Canada goose

• Ectopistes: This genus includes the passenger pigeon, a bird that was once very common but is now extinct.

Taxidermied male Ectopistes migratorius, or passenger pigeon

• Galeocerdo: This genus includes the modern tiger shark, a large and powerful predator.

A living Galeocerdo requiem shark

• Grus: This genus includes modern cranes, like the whooping crane.

A living Grus americana, or whooping crane

• Heterodontus: This genus includes modern bullhead sharks.

A living Heterodontus, or bullhead shark

• Lampropeltis: This genus includes modern kingsnakes.

Close-up of the head of a Lampropeltis , or kingsnake

• Meleagris: This genus includes modern turkeys.

A wild male Meleagris gallopavo, or turkey, displaying his facial coloration and tail feathers to attract a female

• Odocoileus: This genus includes modern deer, like the white-tailed deer.

A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer

• Palaeophis: An ancient sea snake that lived during the Cretaceous and Eocene periods.

Restoration of the Cretaceous-Eocene sea snake Palaeophis

• Plethodon: This genus includes modern salamanders, like the slimy salamander.

A living Plethodon glutinosus, or northern slimy salamander

• Striatolamia: An ancient sand shark from the Paleocene and Miocene epochs. Its teeth are commonly found.

Fossilized teeth of the Paleocene-Miocene sandshark Striatolamia

• Trichiurus: This genus includes modern cutlassfish, which are long, thin fish.

Illustration of a living Trichiurus cutlassfish

• Turdus: This genus includes modern thrushes, like the American robin.

A living Turdus migratorius, or American robin