List of the prehistoric life of Iowa facts for kids

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

Selected Paleozoic taxa of Iowa

• †Acidaspis
• 

  Fossilized calyx and partial stem of the Devonian-Permian crinoid ("sea lily") Actinocrinites
  †Actinocrinites
  • †Actinocrinites gibsoni
  • †Actinocrinites lowei
• †Agassizodus
  • †Agassizodus variabilis
• †Aglaocrinus
• †Amplexus
• †Anataphrus
• †Anomphalus
• †Archaeogastropod
• †Arctinurus
• †Athyris
  • †Athyris fultonensis – or unidentified comparable form
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Silurian-Late Devonian brachiopod Atrypa reticularis
  †Atrypa
  • †Atrypa reticularis
  • †Atrypa reticularus
• †Aviculopecten
• †Bellerophon
• †Bembexia
• †Bothriocidaris
• †Bumastus
• †Calymene
• †Camarotoechia
  • †Camarotoechia chouteauensis
  • †Camarotoechia tuta
• †Cardiola
• †Catenipora
• †Ceratocephala
• †Ceratopsis
• †Ceraurus
• †Charactoceras
• 

  Fossil of the Cambrian-Middle Devonian trilobite Cheirurus
  †Cheirurus
• †Chomatodus
  • †Chomatodus inconstans
• †Chonetes
  • †Chonetes glenparkensis
  • †Chonetes illinoisensis
  • †Chonetes logani
  • †Chonetes multicosta
  • †Chonetes ornatus
• †Cleiothyridina
  • †Cleiothyridina incrassata – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Cleiothyridina sublamellosa
• †Climacograptus
• †Coenites
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Late Devonian-Permian brachiopod Composita
  †Composita
  • †Composita humilis – tentative report
  • †Composita trinuclea
• †Conocardium
• †Coolinia
• †Cornulites
• †Crania
• †Crotalocrinites
• †Curtognathus
• †Cyathocrinites
• †Cyclonema
• †Cyphaspis
• †Cypricardinia
• †Cyrtolites
• 

  Fossilized shells of the Middle-Late Devonian brachiopod Cyrtospirifer
  †Cyrtospirifer
  • †Cyrtospirifer whitneyi
• †Cystodictya
• †Dalmanites
• †Decadocrinus
• †Deiphon
• †Deltaherpeton – type locality for genus
• †Dentalium
• †Dicoelosia
• †Dimerocrinites
• †Diplograptus
  • †Diplograptus modestus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Discosorus
• †Earlandia
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Chimaera relative Edestus
  †Edestus
• †Edmondia
• †Eldredgeops
  • †Eldredgeops rana
• †Ellesmeroceras
• †Encrinurus
• †Endoceras
• Eocaudina
• †Eodictyonella
• †Eophacops
• †Eospirifer
  • †Eospirifer radiatus
• †Eucalyptocrinites
• †Euomphalus
• †Favosites
• †Fenestella
• 

  Front (left) and right side (right) views of an enrolled fossil of the Middle Ordovician-Silurian trilobite Flexicalymene
  †Flexicalymene
• †Goniatites
• †Gravicalymene
• †Greenops
• †Grewingkia
• †Gyroceras
• †Hallopora
• †Halysites
• †Harpidium
• †Heliophyllum
• †Hexagonaria
• †Hindia
• †Holopea
• †Huronia
• †Hyolithes
• †Icriodus
• †Idiognathodus
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous Chimaera relative Iniopteryx
  †Iniopteryx
  • †Iniopteryx rushlaui
• †Iocrinus
• †Isotelus
• †Kayoceras
• †Kionoceras
• †Krausella
• †Leptopora
• †Lingula
• †Manticoceras
• †Marsupiocrinus
• 

  Illustration (lower right, entry 15) of a fossilized shell in front and side views of the Silurian-Late Devonian brachiopod Meristella
  †Meristella
• †Meristina
• †Michelia
• †Michelinoceras
• †Murchisonia
• †Mycterops
• †Mystrocephala
• †Naticopsis
  • †Naticopsis depressa – type locality for species
• †Neospirifer
• Nucula
• †Odontopleura
• 

  Life restoration of the Middle-Late Devonian lobe-finned fish Onychodus
  †Onychodus
• †Orthoceras
• †Oulodus
• †Ozarkodina
• †Pachyphyllum
• †Paladin
• †Palmatolepis
• †Peachocaris
• †Pentamerus
• †Pentremites
• †Periechocrinus
• 

  Fossilized tooth of the Carboniferous-Permian shark Petalodus
  †Petalodus
• †Phacops
• †Phillipsia
• †Pinnocaris
• †Plaesiomys
• †Platyceras
• †Platycrinites
• †Platystrophia
• †Plectodonta
• †Pleurocystites
• Pleurotomaria – tentative report
• †Plicochonetes
• †Poleumita
• †Polygnathus
  • †Polygnathus parawebbi
  • †Polygnathus xylus
• †Posidonia
• †Proetus
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Devonian placoderm fish Ptyctodus
  †Ptyctodus
• †Rhynchodus
• †Rigidella
• †Scutellum
• †Scytalocrinus
• †Septemchiton
• †Sigournea – type locality for genus
  • †Sigournea multidentata – type locality for species
• †Similodonta
• †Skenidioides – tentative report
• †Sowerbyella
• †Sphenothallus
• †Spirifer
  • †Spirifer louisianensis
• †Spiriferina
• Spirorbis
• †Spyroceras
• 

  Life restorations of a male (foreground) and female (background) of the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Chimaera relative Stethacanthus
  †Stethacanthus
• †Streptognathodus
• †Strophomena
  • †Strophomena costata
  • †Strophomena erratica
• †Stylonema – tentative report
• †Syringopora
• †Taxocrinus
• †Tranodis
• †Whatcheeria – type locality for genus
• †Worthenia
• †Youngia

Mesozoic

• †Arcellites
  • †Arcellites crillensis – type locality for species
  • †Arcellites disciformis
• †Balmeisporites
  • †Balmeisporites auriculata – type locality for species
• †Chrysotheca
  • †Chrysotheca dakotaensis – type locality for species
  • †Chrysotheca diskoensis
  • †Chrysotheca levis
• Coptothyris
  • †Coptothyris dakotaensis – type locality for species
• †Dunveganoceras
  • †Dunveganoceras pondi
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size
  †Inoceramus
  • †Inoceramus ginterensis
  • †Inoceramus perfragilis
  • †Inoceramus prefragilis
• †Metengonoceras
  • †Metengonoceras acutum
• †Microcarpolithes
  • †Microcarpolithes hexangulata
• †Minerisporites
  • †Minerisporites mirabilis
• †Molaspora – type locality for genus
  • †Molaspora lobata
  • †Molaspora rugosa – type locality for species
• †Perotrilites
  • †Perotrilites bursatus – type locality for species
  • †Perotrilites convolutus – type locality for species
• †Pilularia
  • †Pilularia globulifera
• †Regnellidium
  • †Regnellidium diphyllum
• †Spermatites
  • †Spermatites ellipticus
  • †Spermatites elongatus

Cenozoic

• Blarina
• 

  Life restoration of the Pliocene-Holocene camel Camelops
  †Camelops
• Canis
  • †Canis latrans
  • †Canis lupus
• Castor
  • †Castor canadensis
• †Castoroides
  • †Castoroides ohioensis
• Didelphis
• Equus
• †Euceratherium – tentative report
  • †Euceratherium collinum
• Geomys
• Lepus
• Lontra
  • †Lontra canadensis
• †Mammut
  • †Mammut americanum
• †Mammuthus
  • 

    Life restorations of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon (right), and a Mammuthus primigenius, or wooly mammoth (left)
    †Mammuthus primigenius
• †Megalonyx
  • †Megalonyx jeffersonii
• Microtus
  • †Microtus paroperarius
• Mictomys
  • †Mictomys meltoni
• Odocoileus
• Ondatra
• Panthera
• †Paramylodon
  • †Paramylodon harlani
• †Platygonus
• Procyon
• Rangifer
• Sciurus
• Sorex
  • †Sorex dispar – or unidentified comparable form
• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene elephant relative Stegomastodon
  †Stegomastodon
  • †Stegomastodon aftoniae – type locality for species
• Sylvilagus
• Taxidea
  • †Taxidea taxus
• Ursus
  • †Ursus americanus
• Vulpes