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List of the prehistoric life of Kansas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

Selected Paleozoic taxa of Kansas

  • Acanthodes BW
    Life restoration of the Early Devonian-Permian "spiny shark" Acanthodes
    Acanthodes
  • Achistrum
  • Acitheca
  • Acrodus – tentative report
  • Acroplous
  • Actiobates – type locality for genus
    • Actiobates peabodyi – type locality for species
  • Agassizodus
    • Agassizodus variabilis
  • Aglaocrinus
  • Alethopteris
    • Alethopteris grandini
    • Alethopteris serlii
  • Ammodiscus – tentative report
  • Amphiscapha
  • Ananias – tentative report
  • Annularia
    • Annularia asteris
    • Annularia mucronata
  • Aphlebia
  • Archaeolithophyllum
  • ArchaeovenatorDB
    Life restoration of the Carboniferous synapsid (mammal precursor) Archaeovenator
    Archaeovenator – type locality for genus
    • Archaeovenator hamiltonensis – type locality for species
  • Archimylacris
  • Aristoceras
  • Artisia
  • Asterotheca
    • Asterotheca miltoni – or unidentified comparable form
  • Aviculopecten
    • Aviculopecten arctisulcatus
    • Aviculopecten mccoyi – type locality for species
    • Aviculopecten nodocosta
    • Aviculopecten occidentalis
    • Aviculopecten peculiaris – type locality for species
    • Aviculopecten sumnerensis – type locality for species
  • Belantsea montana
    Restoration of the Carboniferous Chimaera relative Belantsea
    Belantsea – or unidentified comparable form
  • Bellerophon
    • Bellerophon graphicus – type locality for species
  • Blattoidea
  • Botryococcus
    • Botryococcus braunii
  • Calamites
    • Calamites cistii
  • Callipteris
    • Callipteris conferta
    • Callipteris lyratifolia – tentative report
  • Carbonita – tentative report
  • Caseodus cropped
    Life restoration of the Carboniferous Chimaera relative Caseodus
    Caseodus
    • Caseodus eatoni
  • Chomatodus
  • Chonetes
    • Chonetes mesoloba
  • Cladodus
  • Cladophlebis
  • Cleiothyridina
    • Cleiothyridina orbicularis
  • Composita
    • Composita elongata
    • Composita ovata
    • Composita subtilita
  • Cordaicarpus
  • Cordaites
    • Cordaites principalis
  • Ctenacanthus major Agassiz
    Fossil of the Carboniferous shark Ctenacanthus
    Ctenacanthus
    • Ctenacanthus amblyxiphias
  • Cyathus
  • Cyclopteris
  • Cystodictya
  • Dentalium
  • Diplichnites
    • Diplichnites gouldi
  • Ductilodon – type locality for genus
  • Dunbaria – type locality for genus
  • Echinaria
  • Edestus
    • Edestus heinrichi – or unidentified comparable form
  • Edmondia
  • Eocasea NT small
    Life restoration of the Carboniferous synapsid (mammal precursor) Eocasea
    Eocasea – type locality for genus
    • Eocasea martini – type locality for species
  • Eoscopus – type locality for genus
    • Eoscopus lockardi – type locality for species
  • Euconcordia – type locality for genus
  • Fenestella
  • Fusulina
  • Geinitzina
  • Gervillia
  • Glenopteris
  • Glikmanius
    • Glikmanius occidentalis
  • Glyptopleura
  • Gordia
  • Helminthopsis
  • Hybodus
  • Ianthasaurus BW
    Restoration of the Carboniferous synapsid (mammal precursor) Ianthasaurus
    Ianthasaurus – type locality for genus
    • Ianthasaurus hardestiorum – type locality for species
  • Ianthodon – type locality for genus
    • Ianthodon schultzei – type locality for species
  • Isogramma
  • Janassa
  • Kawichthys – type locality for genus
    • Kawichthys moodiei – type locality for species
  • Kennedya – type locality for genus
  • Kirkella
  • Kouphichnium
  • Lepidodendron
  • Lingula
  • Lisca – type locality for genus
  • Lissodus
  • Listracanthus hystrix
    Restoration of the Carboniferous-Early Triassic cartilaginous fish Listracanthus
    Listracanthus
  • Lithophaga
  • Lysorophus
  • Meganeuropsis – type locality for genus
    • Meganeuropsis permiana – type locality for species
  • Megatypus – type locality for genus
  • Metacoceras
  • Minilya
  • Misthodotes – type locality for genus
  • Modiolus
  • Naticopsis
  • Neoaganides
  • Neospirifer
    • Neospirifer cameratus
    • Neospirifer dunbari
    • Neospirifer kansasensis
  • Neuropteris
    • Neuropteris auriculata – tentative report
    • Neuropteris odontopteroides
    • Neuropteris ovata
    • Neuropteris scheuchzeri
  • Noeggerathia
  • Norwoodia
  • Nucula
  • Ophiacodon mirus cropped
    Life restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian synapsid (mammal precursor) Ophiacodon
    Ophiacodon – type locality for genus
    • Ophiacodon hilli – type locality for species
  • Orodus
  • Orthacanthus
  • Palaeoniscus
  • Paleolimulus – type locality for genus
  • Pecopteris
    • Pecopteris hemitelioides
    • Pecopteris unita
  • Petalodus
  • Petrolacosaurus – type locality for genus
    • Petrolacosaurus kansensis – type locality for species
  • Phillipsia – tentative report
  • PlatycerasLoganOhio
    Fossilized shell of the Silurian-Early Triassic sea snail Platyceras
    Platyceras
  • Platysomus
  • Pleurotomaria
  • Samaropsis
  • Sandalodus – or unidentified comparable form
  • Sigillaria
    • Sigillaria brardii
  • Sphenophyllum
    • Sphenophyllum oblongifolium
    • Sphenophyllum stoukenbergi – or unidentified comparable form
    • Sphenophyllum thonii – or unidentified comparable form
  • Sphenopteris
  • Spinoaequalis schultzei reconstruction
    Restoration of the Carboniferous reptile Spinoaequalis
    Spinoaequalis – type locality for genus
  • Spirifer
    • Spirifer rockymontanus – tentative report
  • Spirorbis
  • Stemmatodus
  • Streptognathodus
    • Streptognathodus zethus
  • Syringopora
  • Tetrataxis
  • Therates – type locality for genus
  • Treptichnus
  • Undichna
    • Undichna britannica
    • Undichna simplicitas
  • Urba – type locality for genus
  • Walchia piniformis
    Fossilized foliage of the Carboniferous-Permian conifer Walchia
    Walchia
  • Wilkingia
  • Worthenia
  • Xyrospondylus
  • Yoldia

Mesozoic

Selected Mesozoic taxa of Kansas

  • Acanthoscaphites tridens 02
    Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Acanthoscaphites
    Acanthoscaphites – tentative report
    • Acanthoscaphites reesidei
  • Alzadasaurus – type locality for genus
  • Ampullina
  • Anomia
  • Apateodus
  • Apatornis
    • Apatornis celer – type locality for species
  • Apsopelix
    • Apsopelix anglicus
  • Aralia
  • Arundo
  • Asplenium
  • Aviculopecten
    • Aviculopecten occidentalis
  • Baculites grandis shell
    Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Baculites
    Baculites
    • Baculites clinolobatus
    • Baculites compressus
    • Baculites grandis
    • Baculites ovatus
    • Baculites pseudovatus – type locality for species
  • Bananogmius
  • Baptornis – type locality for genus
    • Baptornis advenus – type locality for species
  • Botula
    • Botula carolinensis
  • Brachauchenius cropped
    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Brachauchenius hunting a hesperornithiform bird
    Brachauchenius – type locality for genus
    • Brachauchenius lucasi – type locality for species
  • Brachidontes
  • Cadulus
  • Calycoceras
  • Carcharias
  • Cardita
  • Cassiope
  • Ceratophyllum
  • Chiloscyllium
  • Chondrites
  • Cimolichthys
    • Cimolichthys nepaholica
  • Cladophlebis
  • Claosaurus
    • Claosaurus agilis – type locality for species
  • Clidastes proph1DB
    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaurid Clidastes
    Clidastes
    • Clidastes liodontus
    • Clidastes velox
  • Cliona
  • Collignoniceras
    • Collignoniceras woollgari
  • Coniasaurus
  • Corbula
  • Crassostrea
  • Cretolamna
    • Cretolamna appendiculata
  • Cretoxyrhina mantelli 21DB
    Restoration of the Late Cretaceous shark Cretoxyrhina, or the Ginsu shark
    Cretoxyrhina
    • Cretoxyrhina mantelli
  • Ctenochelys
  • Cucullaea
  • Cycadeoidea
  • Dakotasuchus – type locality for genus
    • Dakotasuchus kingi – type locality for species
  • Dawndraco – type locality for genus
    • Dawndraco kanzai – type locality for species
  • Desmatochelys
  • Discoscaphites
  • Dolichorhynchops – type locality for genus
    • Dolichorhynchops osborni – type locality for species
  • Durania
  • Ectenosaurus
    • Ectenosaurus clidastoides
  • Elasmosaurus platyurus
    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Elasmosaurus with an anachronistic human to scale
    Elasmosaurus – type locality for genus
    • Elasmosaurus nobilis – type locality for species
    • Elasmosaurus platyurus – type locality for species
    • Elasmosaurus sternbergi – type locality for species
  • Enchodus
    • Enchodus gladiolus
    • Enchodus petrosus
  • Euspira
  • Fagus
  • Gegania
  • Gervillia
    • Gervillia mudgeana
    • Gervillia mudgenana
  • Gillicus arcuatus
    Restoration of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Gillicus
    Gillicus
    • Gillicus arcuatus
  • Gleichenia
  • Globidens
  • Gryphaea
    • Gryphaea corrugata
    • Gryphaea hilli
    • Gryphaea mucronata
    • Gryphaea navia
  • Halisaurus
    • Halisaurus sternbergi – type locality for species
  • Hesperornis BW
    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous toothed bird Hesperornis
    Hesperornis – type locality for genus
    • Hesperornis crassipes – type locality for species
    • Hesperornis gracilis – type locality for species
    • Hesperornis regalis – type locality for species
  • Heteroceras
  • Hierosaurus – type locality for genus
  • Hoploscaphites
    • Hoploscaphites nicolletii
  • Iaceornis
    • Iaceornis marshi – type locality for species
  • Ichthyornis – type locality for genus
    • Ichthyornis dispar – type locality for species
  • Inoceramus steenstrup, world's largest fossil mollusk
    Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size
    Inoceramus
    • Inoceramus cuvieri
    • Inoceramus ginterensis
    • Inoceramus tenuistriatus – tentative report
  • Ischyrhiza
    • Ischyrhiza mira
  • Jeletzkytes
    • Jeletzkytes nodosus
  • Leiosphaeridia
  • Leptostyrax
  • Linearis
  • Lingula
  • Linuparus
  • Lopha
  • Magnoavipes
  • Marsilea
  • Mathilda
  • Megacephalosaurus Clean
    Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Megacephalosaurus
    Megacephalosaurus – type locality for genus
    • Megacephalosaurus eulerti – type locality for species
  • Membranipora
  • Modiolus
  • Niobrarasaurus
    • Niobrarasaurus coleii – type locality for species
  • Niobrarateuthis
    • Niobrarateuthis bonneri – type locality for species
    • Niobrarateuthis walkeri – type locality for species
  • Nucula
  • Nyctosaurus mmartyniuk
    Restoration of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Nyctosaurus
    Nyctosaurus
    • Nyctosaurus bonneri – type locality for species
    • Nyctosaurus gracilis – type locality for species
    • Nyctosaurus nanus – type locality for species
  • Ogmodirus – type locality for genus
  • Ostrea
  • Pachyrhizodus
    • Pachyrhizodus caninus – or unidentified comparable form
    • Pachyrhizodus minimus
  • Parahesperornis – type locality for genus
    • Parahesperornis alexi – type locality for species
  • Pecten
  • Pholadomya
  • Pinus
  • Placenticeras
    • Placenticeras meeki
  • Platanus
  • Platecarpus tympaniticus
    Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Platecarpus
    Platecarpus
    • Platecarpus planifrons – type locality for species
    • Platecarpus tympaniticus
  • Platyceramus
    • Platyceramus platinus
  • Platypterygius – or unidentified comparable form
  • Plesiochelys
  • Plesiosaurus
  • Plicatula
  • Polycotylus NT
    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous polycotylid plesiosaur Polycotylus giving birth
    Polycotylus – type locality for genus
    • Polycotylus latipinnis – type locality for species
  • Prisca – tentative report
  • Protocardia
  • Protosphyraena
    • Protosphyraena tenuis
  • Protostega
  • Pseudoperna
    • Pseudoperna congesta
  • Pteranodon longiceps mmartyniuk wiki
    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Pteranodon
    Pteranodon – type locality for genus
    • Pteranodon comptus – type locality for species
    • Pteranodon longiceps – type locality for species
    • Pteranodon sternbergi – type locality for species
  • Pteria
  • Pterotrigonia
  • Ptychodus
    • Ptychodus anonymus – or unidentified comparable form
    • Ptychodus decurrens
    • Ptychodus mortoni
    • Ptychodus occidentalis
    • Ptychodus whipplei
  • Ptychotrygon
    • Ptychotrygon triangularis
  • Quercus
  • Repichnia
  • Rhinobatos
    • Rhinobatos incertus
  • Rhizocorallium
  • Sassafras
  • Scapanorhynchus raphiodon cropped
    Restoration of several of the Early Cretaceous-Miocene shark Scapanorhynchus
    Scapanorhynchus
    • Scapanorhynchus rhaphiodon
  • Scaphites
  • Scolicia
  • Scyliorhinus
  • Selmasaurus
    • Selmasaurus johnsoni – type locality for species
  • Sequoia
  • Serpula
  • Silvisaurus – type locality for genus
    • Silvisaurus condrayi – type locality for species
  • Squalicorax
    • Squalicorax curvatus
    • Squalicorax falcatus
    • Squalicorax kaupi
    • Squalicorax pristodontus – or unidentified comparable form
    • Squalicorax volgensis
  • Sterculia
  • Styxocycle by johnson mortimer-dafh0ce
    Animated life restoration of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Styxosaurus
    Styxosaurus – type locality for genus
    • Styxosaurus snowii – type locality for species
  • Tellina
  • Terminonaris
  • Toxochelys
    • Toxochelys latiremis
  • Trachycardium
  • Tragodesmoceras
  • Trinacromerum – type locality for genus
    • Trinacromerum bentonianum – type locality for species
  • Turritella
  • Tylosaurus prorDB15
    Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Tylosaurus
    Tylosaurus
    • Tylosaurus dyspelor
    • Tylosaurus kansasensis – type locality for species
    • Tylosaurus proriger
  • Uintacrinus
    • Uintacrinus socialis
  • Urenchelys
  • Xiphactinus audax Sternberg Museum
    Fish in a fish specimen
    Xiphactinus
    • Xiphactinus audax
  • Yoldia

Cenozoic

Selected Cenozoic taxa of Kansas

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