List of the prehistoric life of Nevada facts for kids
This list of the prehistoric life of Nevada shares amazing ancient creatures. Their fossilized remains have been found in the US state of Nevada. These fossils help scientists learn about life from millions of years ago.
Contents
Paleozoic Era: Ancient Seas and Early Life
The Paleozoic Era lasted from about 541 to 252 million years ago. During this time, Nevada was often covered by warm, shallow seas. This means many of the fossils found are from ocean creatures. You'll see many trilobites, which were like ancient crabs, and brachiopods, which were shelled animals. The dagger symbol (†) next to a name means that creature is now extinct.
Selected Paleozoic Fossils of Nevada
- †Acanthopyge: This was a type of trilobite. Trilobites were hard-shelled sea creatures. They are now extinct.
- †Anomalocaris: This was a large, strange sea animal. It lived during the Cambrian period. It was one of the top predators of its time.
Restorative model of the Cambrian arthropod Anomalocaris
- †Bathynotus: Another type of trilobite. It lived in the Cambrian period.
- †Canadaspis: This was an early arthropod. It looked a bit like a shrimp. It swam in ancient Cambrian seas.
- †Ceraurus: This trilobite lived in the Ordovician period. It had a spiky head and tail.
- †Composita: This was a common type of brachiopod. Brachiopods are shelled marine animals. They lived from the Late Devonian to the Permian periods.
- †Cyrtospirifer: Another type of brachiopod. These had ribbed shells. They lived in the Middle to Late Devonian.
- †Encrinurus: This trilobite lived from the Middle Ordovician to the Early Devonian.
- †Helicoprion: This was a strange shark-like fish. It had a spiral saw-like tooth whorl. It lived in the Permian period.
Life restoration of the Permian Chimaera relative Helicoprion
- †Isotelus: This was a giant trilobite. It lived in the Middle to Late Ordovician.
- †Lingulella: A very old type of brachiopod. It lived from the Cambrian to the Late Ordovician.
- †Naticopsis: This was an ancient sea snail. Its fossilized shells are found in Nevada.
- †Nevadella: A type of trilobite found in Nevada. It lived in the Cambrian period.
- †Ottoia: This was a worm-like creature. It lived in the Cambrian seas. It was a predator.
- †Pentremites: These were "sea buds." They were a type of echinoderm, related to starfish. They lived in the Carboniferous period.
- †Pleurocystites: This was a cystoid echinoderm. It lived in the Late Ordovician.
- †Proetus: A common trilobite from the Silurian period.
- †Receptaculites: This was a type of ancient algae. It lived on the seafloor.
- †Stigmaria: These were the roots of ancient tree-like plants. They lived in the Carboniferous and Permian periods.
- †Wanneria: Another trilobite from the Cambrian period.
Mesozoic Era: The Age of Reptiles
The Mesozoic Era lasted from about 252 to 66 million years ago. This is often called the "Age of Dinosaurs." However, Nevada's Mesozoic fossils are mostly from marine reptiles. This is because much of Nevada was still covered by a large inland sea during parts of this era.
Selected Mesozoic Fossils of Nevada
- †Adocus: This was an ancient turtle. Its fossilized shells are found in Nevada.
- †Augustasaurus: This was a type of plesiosaur relative. Plesiosaurs were large marine reptiles with long necks. Augustasaurus was first discovered in Nevada.
- †Ceratodus: This was an ancient lungfish. Lungfish can breathe air.
- †Cymbospondylus: This was a large ichthyosaur. Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles that looked like dolphins. Cymbospondylus swam in the Triassic seas.
Diagram illustrating the Middle-Late Triassic ichthyosaur Cymbospondylus with an anachronistic human to scale.
- †Daonella: This was a type of bivalve. Bivalves are shelled creatures like clams. Many different kinds of Daonella have been found in Nevada.
- †Encrinus: These were "sea lilies." They were a type of crinoid, related to starfish. They lived in the Middle Triassic.
- †Gymnites: This was an ammonoid cephalopod. Ammonoids were shelled creatures related to squids. They had coiled shells.
- †Leptolepis: This was a small, bony fish. It lived in schools.
Restoration of a school of the Middle Triassic-Early Cretaceous bony fish Leptolepis
- †Mixosaurus: A smaller type of ichthyosaur. It also lived in the Middle Triassic seas.
Life restoration of the Middle Triassic ichthyosaur Mixosaurus
- †Omphalosaurus: Another ichthyosaur. This one was first discovered in Nevada.
- †Phalarodon: This ichthyosaur lived in the Triassic period.
- †Shonisaurus: This is Nevada's state fossil! It was a gigantic ichthyosaur. It could grow up to 50 feet long. Shonisaurus popularis was first found in Nevada.
Diagram illustrating Shonisaurus (green) and Shastasaurus sikanniensis (red) with an anachronistic human to scale
- †Thalattoarchon: This was a large, predatory ichthyosaur. It was first discovered in Nevada.
- †Xenodiscus: This was another type of ammonoid cephalopod.
Cenozoic Era: The Age of Mammals
The Cenozoic Era began about 66 million years ago and continues today. This era saw the rise of mammals. Nevada's Cenozoic fossils include many types of ancient mammals, plants, and even insects.
Selected Cenozoic Fossils of Nevada
- †Aepycamelus: This was a long-necked camel. It lived in the Miocene period. It was much taller than modern camels.
- †Agulla: This was a type of snakefly. A fossil of Agulla mineralensis was found in Nevada.
- †Apis: This was an ancient bee. A fossil of Apis nearctica was found in Nevada.
- †Arctodus simus: This was a giant short-faced bear. It was one of the largest bears ever.
- †Barbourofelis: This was a saber-toothed cat relative. It had very long fangs.
- †Brachycrus: This was an oreodont mammal. Oreodonts were hoofed animals. They were common in North America.
- †Cuvieronius: This was an elephant relative. It had tusks that spiraled.
- †Equus simplicidens: This was an ancient horse. It is also known as the Hagerman horse or American zebra.
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene horse Equus simplicidens, also known as the Hagerman horse or American zebra
- †Gomphotherium: This was another elephant relative. It had four tusks.
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pleistocene elephant relative Gomphotherium
- †Indarctos: This was an ancient bear. A fossil skull was found in Nevada.
- †Ilingoceros: This was an ancient antelope relative. It had unique spiraling horns.
- †Machairodus: This was a saber-toothed cat. It lived in the Miocene and Pleistocene periods.
- †Mammut americanum: This was the American mastodon. It was a large elephant-like mammal.
- †Megalonyx: This was a giant ground sloth. It was a very large, slow-moving mammal.
- †Platygonus: These were ancient peccaries. Peccaries are pig-like animals.
Restoration of a herd of alarmed Miocene-Pleistocene peccaries of the genus Platygonus. Charles R. Knight (1922).
- †Rhynchotherium: This was another elephant relative. It had long tusks that curved downwards.
- †Sequoiadendron chaneyi: This was an ancient redwood tree. Its fossils show that these giant trees once grew in Nevada.
- †Sinopa: This was a creodont mammal. Creodonts were early meat-eating mammals.
- †Teleoceras: This was a rhinoceros. It was short-legged and barrel-bodied. It lived in the Miocene and Pliocene.
- †Zygolophodon: This was another mastodon relative. It had unique teeth for grinding plants.
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List of the prehistoric life of Nevada Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.