List of the prehistoric life of Indiana facts for kids

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

Selected Paleozoic taxa of Indiana

• 

  Fossilized calyx of the Carboniferous crinoid ("sea lily") Abrotocrinus
  †Abrotocrinus
  • †Abrotocrinus coreyi
  • †Abrotocrinus nodosus
  • †Abrotocrinus unicus
• †Achistrum
  • †Achistrum brevis – type locality for species
  • †Achistrum ludwigi
  • †Achistrum nicholsoni
  • †Achistrum triassicum
• †Acidaspis
• † Acrophyllum
• †Actinocrinites
  • †Actinocrinites gibsoni
  • †Actinocrinites grandissimus
  • †Actinocrinites lobatus – tentative report
  • †Actinocrinites lowei
• †Agaricocrinus
  • †Agaricocrinus americanus
• †Aipoceras – tentative report
• 

  Fossilized fronds of the Carboniferous-Early Cretaceous seed fern Alethopteris
  †Alethopteris
  • †Alethopteris davreuxi
  • †Alethopteris decurrens
  • †Alethopteris grandini
  • †Alethopteris lonchitica
  • †Alethopteris owenii
  • †Alethopteris serlii
• Ammodiscus
• †Ammonellipsites
• †Amplexopora
• †Amplexus
• †Anchiopsis
• †Angustidontus
• †Annularia
  • †Annularia mucronata
  • †Annularia radiata
  • †Annularia sphenophylloides
  • †Annularia stellata
• †Aphlebia
• 

  Fossils of the Carboniferous-Permian bryozoan Archimedes
  †Archimedes
  • †Archimedes communis
  • †Archimedes compactus
  • †Archimedes distans
  • †Archimedes intermedius
  • †Archimedes invaginatus
  • †Archimedes lativolvis
  • †Archimedes macfarlani
  • †Archimedes meekanoides
  • †Archimedes meekanus
  • †Archimedes negligens – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Archimedes proutanus
  • †Archimedes swallovanus
  • †Archimedes swallowvanus
  • †Archimedes symmetricus
  • †Archimedes terebriformis
• †Arctinurus
• †Armenoceras
• †Artisia
• †Asterotheca
  • †Asterotheca crenulata
  • †Asterotheca cyathea
  • †Asterotheca hemitelliodes
  • †Asterotheca miltoni
  • †Asterotheca oreopteridia
• 

  Life restoration of the Early Devonian club moss relative Asteroxylon
  †Asteroxylon
• †Athyris
  • †Athyris fultonensis
  • †Athyris lamellosa
  • †Athyris parvirostra
  • †Athyris spiriferoides
• †Atrypa
  • †Atrypa newsomensis
  • †Atrypa parva – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Atrypa reticularis
  • †Atrypa reticularus
• †Aulacophyllum
• †Aulopora
  • †Aulopora edithana
  • †Aulopora microbuccinata
  • †Aulopora tubiporoides
• †Aviculopecten
  • †Aviculopecten colletti
  • †Aviculopecten invalidus
  • †Aviculopecten spinuliferus
  • †Aviculopecten terminalis
• † Avonia – tentative report
• † Avonia
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Silurian-Early Triassic mollusc Bellerophon
  †Bellerophon
  • †Bellerophon gibsoni – type locality for species
  • †Bellerophon jeffersonensis
  • †Bellerophon spergensis – type locality for species
• †Bembexia
• †Beyrichoceras
• †Bordonia
• †Bumastus
  • †Bumastus armatus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Bumastus insignis
  • †Bumastus ioxus
  • †Bumastus niagarense – or unidentified comparable form
• †Calamites
  • †Calamites cruciatus
  • †Calamites suckowii
• 

  Fossilized fronds of the Carboniferous seed fern Callipteridium
  †Callipteridium
• †Callixylon
• †Calymene
  • †Calymene breviceps
  • †Calymene celebra
  • †Calymene niagarensis
• †Camarotoechia
  • †Camarotoechia gregaria – tentative report
  • †Camarotoechia horsfordi
  • †Camarotoechia mutata
  • †Camarotoechia neglecta – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Camarotoechia pisa
  • †Camarotoechia tethys
• 

  Fossil of the Silurian eurypterid ("sea scorpion") Carcinosoma
  †Carcinosoma
• †Caseodus
  • †Caseodus eatoni – type locality for species
• †Ceramopora
  • †Ceramopora imbricata
  • †Ceramopora vesicularis
• †Ceraurinus
• †Ceraurus
• †Chancelloria
• †Charactoceras
• †Cheirurus
• †Chomatodus
• †Chondrites
• †Chonetes
  • †Chonetes geniculatus
• †Cincinnetina
  • †Cincinnetina meeki
  • †Cincinnetina multisecta
• †Cladochonus
  • †Cladochonus beecheri
  • †Cladochonus crassus
  • †Cladochonus longi
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Middle Devonian-Permian brachiopod Cleiothyridina
  †Cleiothyridina
  • †Cleiothyridina hirsuta
  • †Cleiothyridina sublamellosa
• †Clorinda – tentative report
• †Coenites
  • †Coenites brownsportensis
  • †Coenites cryptodens – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Coenites laqueata – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Coenites rectilineatus
• †Columnaria
  • †Columnaria alveolata
• †Composita
  • †Composita subquadrata
  • †Composita sulcata
  • †Composita trinuclea
• †Conchidium
• †Conocardium
  • †Conocardium richmondense – type locality for species
• 

  Fossil of the Ordovician bryozoan Constellaria
  †Constellaria
• †Coolinia
• †Cordaites
  • †Cordaites borassifolius
  • †Cordaites crassinervis
  • †Cordaites principalis
• †Cornulites
  • †Cornulites formosa
  • †Cornulites proprius
• †Coronura
• †Crania
• †Craniops
• †Crotalocrinites
• 

  Fossilized calyx and partial stem of the Silurian-Permian crinoid ("sea lily") Cyathocrinites
  †Cyathocrinites
  • †Cyathocrinites glenni – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Cyathocrinites multibrachiatus
  • †Cyathocrinites parvibrachiatus
  • †Cyathocrinites pauli
  • †Cyathocrinites sanduskyensis
  • †Cyathocrinites striatissimus
  • †Cyathocrinites wilsoni
• †Cyclonema
• †Cyclopteris
• †Cyphaspis
• †Cypricardinia
  • †Cypricardinia indenta
  • †Cypricardinia scitula
• †Cyrtolites
• †Cyrtospirifer
• †Cystodictya
  • †Cystodictya lineata
• 

  Fossil of the Late Ordovician-Middle Devonian trilobite Dalmanites
  †Dalmanites
  • †Dalmanites halli
  • †Dalmanites limulurus
• †Danaea
• †Decadocrinus
  • †Decadocrinus depressus
• †Dicoelosia
• †Dictyonema
• †Dimerocrinites
  • †Dimerocrinites carleyi
  • †Dimerocrinites inornatus
  • †Dimerocrinites occidentalis
• †Dinicthys
• †Dizygocrinus
  • †Dizygocrinus indianaensis
  • †Dizygocrinus indianensis
  • †Dizygocrinus venustus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Dizygocrinus whitei – or unidentified comparable form
• †Drepanopterus
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Chimaera relative Edestus
  †Edestus
  • †Edestus heinrichi
• †Edmondia
• †Eldredgeops
  • †Eldredgeops rana
• †Elytron
• †Emmonsia
• †Encrinurus
• Eocaudina
• †Eodictyonella
• †Eospirifer
  • †Eospirifer eudora
  • †Eospirifer foggi
  • †Eospirifer niagarensis
  • †Eospirifer radiatus
• †Eretmocrinus
  • †Eretmocrinus cassedayanus – tentative report
  • †Eretmocrinus magnificus
• †Erieopterus
• †Eucalyptocrinites
  • †Eucalyptocrinites caelatus
  • †Eucalyptocrinites crassus
  • †Eucalyptocrinites tuberculatus
• 

  Fossil of the Late Ordovician-Permian tabulate coral Favosites
  †Favosites
  • †Favosites arbor
  • †Favosites baculus
  • †Favosites biloculi
  • †Favosites clelandi
  • †Favosites cristatus
  • †Favosites discoideus
  • †Favosites favosus
  • †Favosites forbesi
  • †Favosites forbsei
  • †Favosites goodwini
  • †Favosites hisingeri
  • †Favosites hispidus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Favosites impeditus
  • †Favosites mundus
  • †Favosites niagarensis
  • †Favosites occidentalis
  • †Favosites patellatus – type locality for species
  • †Favosites pirum
  • †Favosites placentus
  • †Favosites proximatus
  • †Favosites quercus
  • †Favosites ramulosus
  • †Favosites rotundituba
  • †Favosites spinigerus
  • †Favosites turbinatus
• †Fayettoceras
• †Fenestella
  • †Fenestella burlingtonensis
  • †Fenestella cestriensis
  • †Fenestella exigua
  • †Fenestella matheri
• †Fletcheria
• †Flexicalymene
  • †Flexicalymene meeki
• †Gilbertsocrinus
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous shark Glikmanius
  †Glikmanius
  • †Glikmanius occidentalis
• †Glyptambon
• †Glyptocrinus
• †Gomphoceras
• †Greenops
• †Grewingkia
  • †Grewingkia canadensis
  • †Grewingkia rusticum
• †Hallopora
  • †Hallopora elegantula
  • †Hallopora subnodosa
• 

  Fossil of the Ordovician-Silurian tabulate coral Halysites
  †Halysites
  • †Halysites catenularia
  • †Halysites labyrinthicus
  • †Halysites microporus
• †Harpidium – tentative report
• †Heliophyllum
  • †Heliophyllum agassizi
  • †Heliophyllum denticulatum
  • †Heliophyllum halli
  • †Heliophyllum incrassatum
  • †Heliophyllum latericrescens
  • †Heliophyllum venatum
  • †Heliophyllum verticale
• 

  Fossil of the Devonian colonial rugose coral Hexagonaria, also known as a Petoskey stone
  †Hexagonaria
  • †Hexagonaria bella
  • †Hexagonaria cincta
  • †Hexagonaria curta
  • †Hexagonaria ovoidea
  • †Hexagonaria partita
  • †Hexagonaria ponderosa
  • †Hexagonaria prisma
• †Hexameroceras
• †Hindia
• †Holopea
• †Hyolithes
• †Icriodus
• †Illaenus
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous Chimaera relative Iniopteryx
  †Iniopteryx
  • †Iniopteryx rushlaui
• †Iocrinus
• †Isotelus
  • †Isotelus gigas
  • †Isotelus maximus
• †Kindleoceras
• †Kingstonia
• †Kionoceras
• †Kokomopterus
• †Lambeoceras
• 

  Restoration of the Carboniferous-Late Triassic club moss relative Lepidodendron. Eli Heimans (1911).
  †Lepidodendron
  • †Lepidodendron aculeatum
  • †Lepidodendron dichotomum
  • †Lepidodendron lanceolatum – tentative report
  • †Lepidodendron obovatum
  • †Lepidodendron vestitum
• †Lepidophyllum
• †Lepidostrobus
• †Lichas
• †Lingula
• †Llanoaspis – tentative report
• †Manitoulinoceras
• †Marsupiocrinus
• †Martinia
• †Melonechinus
• †Meristella
• †Meristina
• †Microplasma
• †Mucrospirifer
  • †Mucrospirifer mucronatus
  • †Mucrospirifer profundus
  • †Mucrospirifer prolificus
• †Murchisonia
• †Natica
• †Naticopsis
  • †Naticopsis carleyana – type locality for species
• 

  Fossilized frond of the Carboniferous seed fern Neuropteris
  †Neuropteris
  • †Neuropteris fimbriata
  • †Neuropteris flexuosa
  • †Neuropteris heterophylla
  • †Neuropteris obliqua
  • †Neuropteris ovata
  • †Neuropteris rarinervis
  • †Neuropteris scheuchzeri
  • †Neuropteris tenuifolia
• †Odontopleura – tentative report
• †Oncoceras
• †Onychocrinus
• †Onychopterella
• †Oonoceras
• †Ornithoprion – type locality for genus
• 

  Restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian cartilaginous fish Orodus
  †Orodus
• †Palmatolepis
• †Paolia – type locality for genus
• †Paraspirifer
• †Pecopteris
• †Pelagiella
• †Pentagonia
• †Pentameroceras
• †Pentamerus
• †Pentremites
  • †Pentremites tulipaformis
• †Periastron
• †Periechocrinus
• 

  Fossil of the Late Ordovician-Late Devonian trilobite Phacops
  †Phacops
• †Phillipsia
• †Phragmolites
• †Pinna
• †Pinnularia
• †Plaesiomys
• †Platyceras
  • †Platyceras bucculentum
• †Platycrinites
• †Platystrophia
  • †Platystrophia acutilirata
  • †Platystrophia annieana
  • †Platystrophia clarksvillensis
  • †Platystrophia cypha
  • †Platystrophia moritura
• †Plectodonta
• †Pleurodictyum
• †Pleurorthoceras
• †Poleumita
• †Polygnathus
• †Polysacos – type locality for genus
• Priscopedatus
• †Proetus
• †Protochonetes – tentative report
• †Protosalvinia
• †Psaronius
• †Pteria
• †Pterotheca
• 

  Life restoration of the Silurian-Middle Devonian eurypterid ("sea scorpion") Pterygotus
  †Pterygotus
• †Quasillites – tentative report
• †Retzia
• †Rhadinichthys
• †Rhynchonella
• †Richmondoceras – type locality for genus
• †Rineceras
• †Rota
• †Samaropsis
• †Sandalodus
• †Scytalocrinus
• †Sidetes
• 

  Fossilized stump of the Carboniferous-Permian club moss relative Sigillaria
  †Sigillaria
  • †Sigillaria brardii
  • †Sigillaria scutellata
• †Skenidioides
• †Sowerbyella
• †Spathognathodus
• †Sphaerexochus
• †Sphaerocodium
• †Sphenophyllum
  • †Sphenophyllum cuneifolium
  • †Sphenophyllum emarginatum
  • †Sphenophyllum myriophyllum
  • †Sphenophyllum plurifoliatum
• †Sphenopteris
• †Spirifer
• Spirorbis
• †Spyroceras
• 

  Life restorations of a male (foreground) and female (background) of the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Chimaera relative Stethacanthus
  †Stethacanthus
  • †Stethacanthus altonensis
• †Stigmaria
• †Stigmatella
• †Strophomena
  • †Strophomena concordensis
  • †Strophomena erratica
  • †Strophomena extenuata
  • †Strophomena neglecta
  • †Strophomena nutans
  • †Strophomena planumbona
  • †Strophomena sulcata
• †Syringopora
• †Taxocrinus
• †Tentaculites
• †Tetradium
• †Thalassinoides
• †Treptoceras
• †Tricrepicephalus
• †Trimerus
• †Zittelloceras
• †Zoophycos

Mesozoic

The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Mesozoic fossils in Indiana.

Cenozoic

• Acer
• 

  Life restoration of the Miocene camel Aepycamelus, or the long-necked camel. Heinrich Harder (1920).
  †Aepycamelus – or unidentified comparable form
• Alces
  • †Alces alces
• †Arctodus
  • †Arctodus simus
• †Bensonomys
  • †Bensonomys hershkovitzi – type locality for species
• †Bootherium
  • †Bootherium bombifrons
• †Borophagus
• †Bryum
• Bufo
• Candona
  • †Candona crogmaniana – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Candona elliptica – or unidentified related form
• Canis
  • 

    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 – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Canis latrans – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Canis lupus
• †Carex
• Carya
• Chara
• Chelydra
  • †Chelydra serpentina – or unidentified comparable form
• Chrysemys
  • †Chrysemys picta – or unidentified comparable form
• Coluber
  • †Coluber constrictor
• Comptonia – or unidentified comparable form
• Cyperus
• Cypridopsis
  • †Cypridopsis okeechobei – or unidentified related form
  • †Cypridopsis vidua – or unidentified comparable form
• Elaphe
• Emydoidea
  • †Emydoidea blandingii – or unidentified comparable form
• Equus
  • †Equus complicatus – or unidentified comparable form
• Fagus
  • †Fagus grandifolia – or unidentified comparable form
• Geomys
  • †Geomys adamsi – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Geomys bursarius – or unidentified comparable form
• †Hemiauchenia – or unidentified comparable form
• †Hesperotestudo
• †Hypolagus
  • †Hypolagus fontinalis – or unidentified comparable form
• Lynx
  • †Lynx rufus – or unidentified comparable form
• Lyonia – or unidentified comparable form
• †Mammut
  • 

    Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
    †Mammut americanum
• Marmota
  • †Marmota monax
• Mephitis
  • †Mephitis mephitis
• Microtus
  • †Microtus ochrogaster – or unidentified comparable form
• Mustela
• †Mylohyus
  • †Mylohyus fossilis
• Neotoma
  • †Neotoma floridana – or unidentified comparable form
• Nerodia
  • †Nerodia erythrogaster – or unidentified comparable form
• Odocoileus
  • 

    A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer
    †Odocoileus virginianus
• Ogmodontomys
  • †Ogmodontomys pipecreekensis – type locality for species
• †Oxalis
• †Paleoheterodon
  • †Paleoheterodon tiheni
• Panthera
  • †Panthera onca
• †Paracoluber
  • †Paracoluber storei
• Parascalops
  • †Parascalops breweri
• Peromyscus
  • †Peromyscus leucopus – or unidentified comparable form
• Platanus
  • †Platanus occidentalis
• 

  Restoration of a herd of alarmed Miocene-Pleistocene peccaries of the genus Platygonus. Charles R. Knight (1922).
  †Platygonus
  • †Platygonus vetus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Plionarctos
  • †Plionarctos edensis
• †Pliophenacomys
  • †Pliophenacomys koenigswaldi – type locality for species
• Polygonum
• Populus
  • †Populus deltoides – or unidentified comparable form
• †Potamocypris
  • †Potamocypris unicaudata – or unidentified related form
• †Potamogeton
• †Potentilla
• †Rana
  • †Rana catesbeiana – or unidentified comparable form
• Rumex
• Salix
• †Scirpus
• 

  Life restoration of the Pleistocene-Holocene saber-tooth cat Smilodon
  †Smilodon
  • †Smilodon fatalis
• Spermophilus
  • †Spermophilus howelli
• Spilogale
  • †Spilogale putorius – or unidentified comparable form
• †Symmetrodontomys
  • †Symmetrodontomys daamsi – type locality for species
• Synaptomys
  • †Synaptomys cooperi
• 

  Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene rhinoceros Teleoceras
  †Teleoceras
• Thamnophis
• Trachemys
  • †Trachemys scripta – or unidentified comparable form
• Urocyon
  • †Urocyon cinereoargenteus
• Ursus
  • †Ursus americanus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Verbena
• †Viola
• Vitis
• Vulpes
• †Xanthium