List of the prehistoric life of Hawaii facts for kids
Hawaii is famous for its beautiful islands, but did you know it also has a fascinating past? This article explores the amazing prehistoric life that once lived in Hawaii. We'll look at the ancient plants and animals whose fossils have been found here.
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Precambrian-Mesozoic
Hawaii's islands are quite young, geologically speaking. The oldest island is only about 5 million years old! This means that Hawaii didn't exist during the very early periods of Earth's history, like the Precambrian (when life first appeared) or the Mesozoic Era (the time of dinosaurs). Because of this, scientists have not found any fossils from these ancient times in Hawaii.
Cenozoic Era: Hawaii's Ancient Life
The Cenozoic Era began about 66 million years ago and continues to the present day. In Hawaii, scientists have discovered many fossils from this era, specifically from about 66 million to 10,000 years ago. These fossils tell us about the incredible plants and animals that once called Hawaii home.
Ancient Sea Snails and Shells (A-C)
Many of the fossils found in Hawaii are from sea creatures, especially different kinds of snails and shells.
- Acar: These are a type of small clam.
- Acropora: This is a type of stony coral, important for building reefs.
- Acrosterigma: These are also a kind of clam.
- Amphisorus: A type of tiny marine organism called a foraminifera.
- Amphistegina: Another common type of foraminifera.
- †Aplodon: An extinct type of sea snail.
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†Apteribis: This was a flightless ibis, a bird that could not fly.
Restorative model of an Apteribis flightless ibis - Arca: These are often called ark clams.
- Astrea: A type of stony coral.
- Barbatia: Another type of ark clam, sometimes called a bearded ark clam.
- Bostrycapulus: A type of sea snail.
- Brachidontes: These are small mussels.
- Branta: This group includes geese, like the nene (Hawaiian goose).
- Bulla: These are bubble snails.
- Bursa: These are frog shell sea snails.
- †Bursa corrugata: A specific type of frog shell sea snail.
- Calcarina: Another type of foraminifera.
- Calliotrochus: A type of sea snail.
- †Canarium: This genus includes trees that produce edible nuts.
- Cancilla: A type of sea snail.
- Carcharodon: This group includes large sharks, like the great white shark.
- Casmaria: These are helmet sea snails.
- Cellana: These are limpets, a type of sea snail with a simple, cone-shaped shell.
- Cerithiopsis: A small sea snail.
- Cerithium: Another type of sea snail.
- †Chaetoptila: This was a Hawaiian honeyeater bird, now extinct.
- Chama: These are jewel box clams.
- Charonia: These are large triton sea snails.
- Cheilea: A type of sea snail.
- Chlamys: These are scallops.
- Circus: This group includes harrier hawks.
- †Ciridops: An extinct Hawaiian honeycreeper bird.
- Clava: A type of sea snail.
- Clypeomorus: Another type of sea snail.
- Codakia: These are clams.
- Columbella: These are dove snails.
- Conus: These are cone sea snails, known for their cone-shaped shells.
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†Conus geographus: A specific type of cone snail.
A living Conus geographus, or the geography cone sea snail - Coralliobia: A type of sea snail.
- Coralliophila: Another type of sea snail.
- Corvus: This group includes crows.
- Cribrarula: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Ctena: A type of clam.
- Cycloseris: A type of stony coral.
- Cymatium: These are triton sea snails.
- Cyphastrea: A type of stony coral.
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Cypraea: These are cowrie sea snails, known for their smooth, shiny shells.
Multiple views of a shell of a Cypraea cowrie sea snail
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Diverse Marine Life (D-G)
Hawaii's ancient oceans were full of many different kinds of marine animals.
- Daphnella: A type of sea snail.
- Dendropoma: These are worm shell sea snails.
- Diodora: These are keyhole limpets.
- †Dolicholatirus: A type of sea snail.
- Drupa: These are rock snails.
- Erosaria: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- †Erosaria caputserpentis: A specific type of cowrie.
- Favia: A type of stony coral.
- Favites: Another type of stony coral.
- Flabellipecten: These are scallops.
- Fungia: These are mushroom corals.
- Fusinus: A type of sea snail.
- †Galaxea: A type of stony coral.
- Gardineroseris: Another type of stony coral.
- Gastrochaena: These are boring clams, meaning they can bore into rocks or shells.
- Globulina: A type of foraminifera.
- †Grallistrix: These were Hawaiian stilt-owls, now extinct.
- Gutturinium: A type of sea snail.
- Gypsina: A type of foraminifera.
Hawaiian Birds and Sea Urchins (H-L)
Fossils also show us that ancient Hawaii had unique birds and sea creatures.
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Haliaeetus: This group includes sea eagles, like the bald eagle.
A living Haliaeetus, or sea eagle - †Halimeda: A type of green algae that helps build reefs.
- Haminoea: These are bubble snails.
- Harpa: These are harp sea snails.
- Hastula: These are auger sea snails.
- Heliacus: These are sundial sea snails.
- Heterocentrotus: These are slate pencil urchins, a type of sea urchin.
- Heterostegina: A type of foraminifera.
- Hipponix: These are hoof limpets.
- Hydrolithon: A type of red algae that helps build reefs.
- Isognomon: These are tree oysters.
- Lamna: This group includes mackerel sharks.
- Leptastrea: A type of stony coral.
- Leptoseris: Another type of stony coral.
- Linatella: A type of sea snail.
- Liocerithium: A type of sea snail.
- †Litharium: A type of red algae.
- Lithophaga: These are date mussels.
- Lithophyllum: A type of red algae important for reefs.
- †Lithoporella: Another type of red algae.
- Lithothamnion: Yet another type of red algae.
- Littoraria: These are periwinkle sea snails.
- Luria: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Lyncina: Another type of cowrie sea snail.
- †Lyncina vitellus: A specific type of cowrie.
More Marine and Land Creatures (M-O)
The fossil record continues to reveal a mix of ocean dwellers and some land animals.
- Mauritia: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Mesophyllum: A type of red algae.
- †Micromelo: A type of sea snail.
- †Miripecten: A type of scallop.
- Mitra: These are mitre sea snails.
- †Mitra stictica: A specific type of mitre snail.
- Monoplex: These are triton sea snails.
- Montipora: A type of stony coral.
- Morula: These are rock snails.
- †Morulina: A type of rock snail.
- Nassa: These are mud snails.
- Nassarius: Another type of mud snail.
- Natica: These are moon snails.
- †Neogoniolithon: A type of red algae.
- Nerita: These are nerite sea snails.
- Neritina: Another type of nerite sea snail.
- Numenius: This group includes curlews, a type of wading bird.
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†Numenius tahitiensis: A specific type of curlew.
A living Numenius tahitiensis, or bristle-thighed curlew - Oliva: These are olive sea snails.
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Ostrea: These are oysters.
Shell of an Ostrea, or oyster - †Oxyrhina: An extinct type of shark.
Corals, Birds, and More Snails (P-Z)
The fossil record continues with a variety of corals, birds, and many more types of snails and shells.
- Pavona: A type of stony coral.
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†Pavona duerdeni: A specific type of stony coral.
Living Pavona duerdeni, or porkchop coral - Peneroplis: A type of foraminifera.
- Periglypta: These are venus clams.
- Peristernia: A type of sea snail.
- Peyssonnelia: A type of red algae.
- †Phaeornis: These were thrushes, a type of bird.
- Pinctada: These are pearl oysters.
- Pisania: A type of sea snail.
- †Planorbinella: A type of foraminifera.
- Platygyra: These are brain corals.
- Plesiotrochus: A type of sea snail.
- Pocillopora: These are cauliflower corals.
- †Pocillopora verrucosa: A specific type of cauliflower coral.
- Polinices: These are moon snails.
- Porites: A type of stony coral, often forming large structures.
- †Porolithon: A type of red algae.
- Porzana: These are rails, a type of bird.
- †Porzana ralphorum: An extinct rail from Hawaii.
- †Porzana ziegleri: Another extinct rail from Hawaii.
- Proterato: A type of sea snail.
- Psammocora: A type of stony coral.
- Pterodroma: These are gadfly petrels, a type of seabird.
- Purpura: These are rock snails.
- †Purpuradusta: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Pustularia: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Pyrene: These are dove snails.
- Quidnipagus: These are tellin clams.
- Quinqueloculina: A type of foraminifera.
- Rhinoclavis: A type of sea snail.
- Rissoina: A type of sea snail.
- †Rissoina ambigua: A specific type of sea snail.
- †Scutarcopagia: A type of clam.
- Semele: A type of clam.
- Septifer: These are mussels.
- Seriatopora: A type of stony coral.
- †Seriatopora hystrix: A specific type of stony coral.
- Spondylus: These are spiny oysters.
- †Spongites: A type of red algae.
- †Sporolithon: Another type of red algae.
- Staphylaea: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Stilifer: A type of sea snail.
- Strombus: These are conch sea snails.
- Stylophora: A type of stony coral.
- †Stylophora pistillata: A specific type of stony coral.
- Talostolida: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Talparia: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Tellina: These are tellin clams.
- Terebra: These are auger sea snails.
- Textularia: A type of foraminifera.
- †Thambetochen: These were large, flightless ducks called moa-nalo.
- †Thambetochen chauliodous: A specific type of moa-nalo.
- †Titanoderma: A type of red algae.
- Tonna: These are tun sea snails.
- Trapezium: These are clams.
- †Tridentarius: A type of sea snail.
- Triphora: A type of sea snail.
- †Tritonoturris: A type of sea snail.
- Trivirostra: A type of cowrie sea snail.
- Trochus: These are top sea snails.
- Turbo: These are turban sea snails.
- †Turridrupa: A type of sea snail.
- Turris: A type of sea snail.
- Tutufa: These are frog shell sea snails.
- Vanikoro: A type of sea snail.
- Vermetus: These are worm shell sea snails.
- Vexillum: These are mitre sea snails.
- Vitularia: A type of sea snail.
- Xenoturris: A type of sea snail.
- Zebina: A type of sea snail.
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List of the prehistoric life of Hawaii Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.