List of the prehistoric life of Ohio facts for kids

This article is a list of amazing prehistoric animals and plants whose fossils have been found in the state of Ohio. Fossils are like ancient clues, showing us what life was like millions of years ago!

Precambrian Era

Scientists haven't found any fossils from the Precambrian time period in Ohio yet. This was the earliest time in Earth's history, before complex life forms became common.

Paleozoic Era

The Paleozoic Era was a very long time, from about 541 to 252 million years ago. During this era, Ohio was covered by warm, shallow seas. This is why many fossils from this time are of sea creatures. Later, during the Carboniferous period, Ohio had swamps and forests where early land animals lived.

Amazing Paleozoic Life in Ohio

Here are some of the cool prehistoric creatures and plants found in Ohio from the Paleozoic Era:

• †Anthracosaurus: This was a large, extinct amphibian that looked a bit like a crocodile. Its fossils help us understand early land animals.
• †Brachydectes: This small, extinct amphibian had a long, snake-like body. The first fossils of this type of animal were found right here in Ohio!
• †Cameroceras: Imagine a giant squid or octopus with a long, straight shell! These were ancient sea creatures called nautiloids.
• †Cincinnetina: These were common brachiopods, which are sea animals with two shells. They looked a bit like clams but are a different type of animal.
• †Cladoselache: This was one of the earliest known sharks! It lived in the ancient seas that covered Ohio.
• †Colosteus: An extinct amphibian that lived in the swamps of ancient Ohio.
• †Diceratosaurus: This extinct amphibian had two horn-like bumps on its head. The first fossils of this specific species were found in Ohio.
• †Dinichthys: A huge, armored fish with powerful jaws. It was a top predator in the Devonian seas.
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  Mounted skull of the Late Devonian placoderm fish Dunkleosteus
  †Dunkleosteus: One of the largest and most fearsome armored fish ever! Its massive head shield and sharp bony plates made it a super predator.
• †Eldredgeops: This was a type of trilobite, an extinct sea arthropod. Trilobites are very common fossils in Ohio.
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  Life restoration of Silurian eurypterid ("sea scorpion") Eurypterus
  †Eurypterus: Also known as "sea scorpions," these ancient creatures were related to modern spiders and scorpions. They lived in the seas.
• †Favosites: These were "honeycomb corals" because their skeletons look like a honeycomb. They were common reef-builders in ancient Ohio seas.
• †Flexicalymene: Another common type of trilobite found in Ohio.
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  Multiple views of a fossil of the Ordovician horn coral Grewingkia
  †Grewingkia: These were "horn corals," named for their horn-like shape. They lived on the seafloor.
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  Fossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus.
  †Isotelus: This was a giant trilobite, one of the largest ever found! It's even Ohio's state fossil.
• †Lepidodendron: These were huge, extinct "scale trees" that grew in the Carboniferous swamps. Their bark had a pattern like scales.
• †Loxomma: An extinct amphibian. The first fossils of this specific species were found in Ohio.
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  Life restoration of the Carboniferous amphibian Megalocephalus
  †Megalocephalus: This extinct amphibian had a large, flat head. The first fossils of this type of animal were found in Ohio.
• †Mucrospirifer: A very common type of brachiopod with distinctive wing-like extensions on its shell.
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  Fossilized shell of the Early Devonian – Triassic sea snail Naticopsis
  †Naticopsis: An ancient sea snail whose fossilized shells are found in Ohio.
• †Neuropteris: A common fern-like plant from the Carboniferous period. It was part of the lush forests.
• †Odonterpeton: A small, extinct amphibian. The first fossils of this type of animal were found in Ohio.
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  Life restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian synapsid (mammal precursor) Ophiacodon
  †Ophiacodon: This was an early synapsid, a group of animals that eventually led to mammals. It looked a bit like a large lizard.
• †Pecopteris: Another common type of fern-like plant from the Carboniferous period.
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  Life restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian amphibian Phlegethontia.
  †Phlegethontia: A snake-like amphibian that lived in ancient Ohio. The first fossils of this type of animal were found here.
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  Fossilized shell of the Middle Ordovician-Silurian brachiopod Platystrophia
  †Platystrophia: A common brachiopod with a ribbed shell.
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  Life restoration with a conifer-like body plan of the Silurian-Late Devonian tree-like probable fungus Prototaxites. John William Dawson (1888).
  †Prototaxites: This was a giant, tree-like organism, possibly a fungus, that grew very tall.
• †Sauropleura: An extinct amphibian. The first fossils of this type of animal were found in Ohio.
• †Sigillaria: Another type of "scale tree" from the Carboniferous swamps, similar to Lepidodendron.
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  Fossilized leaves and branches of the Devonian-Triassic horsetail relative Sphenophyllum
  †Sphenophyllum: A plant related to modern horsetails, common in ancient forests.
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  Life restorations of a male (foreground) and female (background) of the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Chimaera relative Stethacanthus
  †Stethacanthus: An ancient shark relative with a unique "anvil-shaped" dorsal fin in males.
• †Strophomena: A very common type of brachiopod with a flat or slightly curved shell.
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  Life restoration of the Carboniferous amphibian Tuditanus
  †Tuditanus: A small, lizard-like amphibian. The first fossils of this type of animal were found in Ohio.

Mesozoic Era

Scientists haven't found any fossils from the Mesozoic Era in Ohio yet. This era is famous for dinosaurs, but Ohio's geology from that time doesn't preserve many fossils.

Cenozoic Era

The Cenozoic Era began about 66 million years ago and continues to the present day. During this time, Ohio's landscape changed, and large mammals became common. Many of these animals lived during the Ice Ages.

Amazing Cenozoic Life in Ohio

Here are some of the cool prehistoric creatures found in Ohio from the Cenozoic Era:

• †Arctodus: This was the giant short-faced bear, one of the largest bears that ever lived!
• †Castoroides:
  

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene giant beaver Castoroides
  This was a giant beaver, much larger than modern beavers, growing up to 8 feet long! Its fossils are famous in Ohio.
• †Cervalces: Also known as the "stag-moose," this extinct animal was a large deer with moose-like antlers.
• †Mammut:
  

  Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
  These were mastodons, ancient relatives of elephants. They had shaggy fur and straight tusks, and they roamed Ohio during the Ice Ages.
• †Megalonyx: This was a giant ground sloth, a huge, slow-moving mammal. It was named after President Thomas Jefferson, who studied its fossils.
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  Restoration of a herd of alarmed Miocene-Pleistocene peccaries of the genus Platygonus. Charles R. Knight (1922).
  †Platygonus: These were extinct peccaries, which are pig-like animals. They lived in herds.
• †Rangifer: This genus includes caribou and reindeer. Their fossils show they once lived in Ohio during colder periods.
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  A living Ursus arctos, or brown bear
  †Ursus arctos: This genus includes brown bears, like grizzlies and Kodiak bears. Their fossils show they were once found in Ohio.
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  A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer
  †Odocoileus virginianus: The white-tailed deer, common in Ohio today, also has a long prehistoric history in the state.

Images for kids

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  Restoration of the face of the Carboniferous reptiliomorph Anthracosaurus

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  Life restoration of the Carboniferous amphibian Brachydectes

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  Restoration of the Middle Ordovician-Silurian nautiloid cephalopod Cameroceras feeding on an Aphetoceras, while a quartet of Cyclostomiceras swim by

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  Assemblage of fossilized shells of the Ordovician brachiopod Cincinnetina