List of the prehistoric life of Minnesota facts for kids

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

Selected Paleozoic taxa of Minnesota

• †Actinoceras
• †Actinodiscus
• †Amorphognathus
• †Armenoceras
• 

  Reconstructive diagram (left) of a fossil (right) of the Ordovician sea urchin Bothriocidaris. The short spines which were attached to the tubercles are not drawn.
  †Bothriocidaris
• †Bumastus
  • †Bumastus orbicaudatus
• †Calymene
• †Cameroceras
• †Ceratopsis
• †Ceraurinella
• †Ceraurinus
• †Ceraurus
• †Charactoceras
• †Chasmatopora
• †Chidleyenoceras
• †Chirognathus
• 

  Assemblage of fossilized shells of the Ordovician brachiopod Cincinnetina
  †Cincinnetina
  • †Cincinnetina minnesotensis – type locality for species
• †Constellaria
• †Cordylodus
• †Cotteroceras
• †Crania
• †Craniops
• †Culumbodina
• †Curtognathus
• †Cyclonema
• †Cyptendoceras
• †Cyrtolites
• †Diplograptus
• †Ellesmeroceras
• 

  Fossilized shells and restored appearances of the Middle-Late Ordovician nautiloid cephalopod Endoceras
  †Endoceras
• †Erratencrinurus
• †Fayettoceras – tentative report
• †Flexicalymene
  • †Flexicalymene senaria
• †Gabriceraurus
• †Geisonoceras
• †Glyptocrinus
• †Gonioceras
• †Grewingkia
• †Hallopora
• †Helcionopsis
• †Hindia
• †Holopea
• †Hypseloconus – type locality for genus
• †Icriodus
• †Illaenus
• 

  Fossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus.
  †Isotelus
  • †Isotelus gigas
• †Kentlandoceras
• †Kionoceras
• †Kirengella
• †Krausella
• †Lambeoceras
• †Lingula
• †Manitoulinoceras
• †Michelinoceras
• †Nanno
• †Ormoceras – tentative report
• †Orthoceras
• †Oulodus
• †Ozarkodina
• †Periodon
• †Phragmolites
• †Plaesiomys
• †Platystrophia
• †Plectoceras
• 

  Fossil of the Late Ordovician cystoid echinoderm Pleurocystites
  †Pleurocystites
• †Polygnathus
  • †Polygnathus linguiformis
  • †Polygnathus parawebbi
• †Polygrammoceras
• †Pterotheca
• †Reedsoceras
• †Reteocrinus
• †Rigidella
• †Rioceras
• 

  Fossils of the Cambrian mollusc Scenella
  †Scenella
  • †Scenella compressa
  • †Scenella obtusa
• †Similodonta
• †Skenidioides
• †Sowerbyella
• †Spyroceras
• †Stigmatella
• †Strepsodiscus
• †Strophomena
  • †Strophomena billingsi
  • †Strophomena filitexta
  • †Strophomena incurvata
  • †Strophomena plattinensis – or unidentified comparable form
• †Subulites
• †Teichertoceras
• †Tryblidium
• †Ulrichoceras
• 

  Fossil of the Ordovician-Devonian sea star Urasterella
  †Urasterella
• †Valcouroceras
• †Vellamo
• †Westonoceras
• †Whiteavesia
• †Zittelloceras

Mesozoic

• †Acanthoceras
• 

  A living Acteon barrel bubble sea snail
  †Acteon
  • †Acteon propinquus
• †Amphidonte – tentative report
• †Anatimya
  • †Anatimya plicata
• Anatina
  • †Anatina marblensis
• †Anchura
  • †Anchura grouti
• 

  Interior and exterior of a shell of an Anomia, or jingle shell
  †Anomia
  • †Anomia propatoris
• Aporrhais
  • †Aporrhais nuptialis
• †Arcellites
  • †Arcellites disciformis
• †Ariadnaesporites
  • †Ariadnaesporites varius
• Azolla – or unidentified comparable form
• Barbatia
  • †Barbatia micronema
• Brachidontes
  • †Brachidontes arcturusensis
• †Calliomphalus – tentative report
  • †Calliomphalus colerainensis
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Calycoceras
  †Calycoceras – tentative report
• Carcharias
  • †Carcharias amonensis
• †Cenocarcharias
  • †Cenocarcharias tenuiplicatus
• †Collignoniceras
  • †Collignoniceras percarinatum
• Coptothyris
  • †Coptothyris dakotaensis
• Corbula
  • †Corbula kanabensis
• †Costatheca
• †Cretodus
  • †Cretodus semiplicatus
• 

  Fossil of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene shark Cretolamna
  †Cretolamna
  • †Cretolamna appendiculata
• †Cymbophora
  • †Cymbophora emmonsi
  • †Cymbophora utahensis – tentative report
• †Dentalium
• Discradisca
• †Dunveganoceras
  • †Dunveganoceras hagei
• †Epitonium
• †Etea – tentative report
• 

  Interior of a fossilized shell of the Jurassic-Cretaceous foam oyster Exogyra
  †Exogyra
  • †Exogyra boveyensis
  • †Exogyra lamellosa
  • †Exogyra mesabiensis
  • †Exogyra suborbiculata
• †Gervillia
  • †Gervillia propleura – tentative report
• †Goolandia
  • †Goolandia minnesotensis
• Granocardium
  • †Granocardium enstromi
• Gyrodes
  • †Gyrodes conradi
• †Hybodus
  • †Hybodus rajkovichi – type locality for species
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size
  †Inoceramus
  • †Inoceramus apicalis
  • †Inoceramus fragilis
  • †Inoceramus mesabiensis
• †Ischyodus
• †Legumen
  • †Legumen planulatum – or unidentified comparable form
• †Leptosolen
  • †Leptosolen biplicatus
• Lima
  • †Lima utahensis
• †Lingula
  • †Lingula subspatulata – tentative report
• †Mesozoisynangia
  • †Mesozoisynangia trilobus
• †Metengonoceras
  • †Metengonoceras acutum
  • †Metengonoceras dumblei – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Metengonoceras dumbli
• †Metoicoceras
  • †Metoicoceras bergquisti
  • †Metoicoceras swallovi – or unidentified related form
• †Minerisporites
  • †Minerisporites mirabilis
• †Molaspora
  • †Molaspora rugosa
• †Mytiloides
  • †Mytiloides labiatus
  • †Mytiloides mytiloides
• Nerita – tentative report
  • †Nerita minnesotensis
• Nucula
  • †Nucula coloradoensis
• 

  Fossilized tooth of the Late Cretaceous giant sawfish Onchopristis
  †Onchopristis
  • †Onchopristis dunklei
• Ostrea
  • †Ostrea gilei
  • †Ostrea prudentia
  • †Ostrea soleniscus
  • †Ostrea staufferi
• Parapholas
  • †Parapholas sphenoideus
• †Pecten
  • †Pecten platessus
• Pholadomya
  • †Pholadomya coloradensis
  • †Pholadomya coloradoensis
• †Pinna
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Placenticeras
  †Placenticeras
  • †Placenticeras pseudoplacenta
• Polinices
  • †Polinices concinna
• †Prionocyclus
  • †Prionocyclus novimexicanus
• †Protolamna
  • †Protolamna gigantea – type locality for species
• †Pseudoperna
  • †Pseudoperna congesta
• †Pteria
  • †Pteria gastrodes
• Rostellaria
  • †Rostellaria shumardi
• †Sanoarca
  • †Sanoarca siouxensis
• †Scaphites
  • †Scaphites corvensis
  • †Scaphites preventricosus
• Serpula
  • †Serpula bicarinata
• Siliqua
  • †Siliqua huerfanensis
• †Spermatites
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous shark Squalicorax
  Squalicorax
  • †Squalicorax baharijensis
• Tapes (bivalve)
  • †Tapes cyprimeriformis
• Tellina
  • †Tellina calumetensis
• †Tenellisporites
  • †Tenellisporites spinatus
• Teredolites – tentative report
• 

  Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous crocodilian relative Terminonaris
  †Terminonaris
  • †Terminonaris robusta – type locality for species
• †Volutoderma
  • †Volutoderma dalli
• Vulsella
• †Watinoceras
  • †Watinoceras coloradoense
• Yoldia
  • †Yoldia calumetensis

Cenozoic

• Bison
  • †Bison antiquus
  • †Bison bison
• †Mammut
  • 

    Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
    †Mammut americanum
• †Mammuthus
  • †Mammuthus columbi