List of the prehistoric life of Ohio facts for kids

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

Selected Paleozoic taxa of Ohio

• †Achatella
• †Acidaspis
• †Acleistoceras – tentative report
• †Acutichiton – type locality for genus
• †Adamanterpeton – type locality for genus
  • †Adamanterpeton ohioensis – type locality for species
• †Aethaspis
• †Agnesia
• †Alethopteris
• †Ambedus – type locality for genus
• †Amphiscapha
• †Amplexopora
• †Annularia
  • †Annularia asteris
  • †Annularia radiata
  • †Annularia sphenophylloides
  • †Annularia stellata
• †Anthracodromeus
  • †Anthracodromeus longipes – type locality for species
• 

  Restoration of the face of the Carboniferous reptiliomorph Anthracosaurus
  †Anthracosaurus
• †Aphlebia
• †Archaeothyris
• †Arctinurus
• †Armenoceras
• †Artisia
• †Asterotheca
• †Athyris
• †Atrypa
  • †Atrypa reticularis
  • †Atrypa reticularus – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• †Augustoceras
• †Aulopora
  • †Aulopora microbuccinata
• †Aviculopecten
  • †Aviculopecten appalachianus – type locality for species
  • †Aviculopecten columbianus – type locality for species
  • †Aviculopecten coxanus
  • †Aviculopecten fasciculatus
  • †Aviculopecten occidentalis
  • †Aviculopecten winchelli
• †Baldwinonus
• †Bellerophon
  • †Bellerophon jeffersonensis
  • †Bellerophon spergensis
• †Bembexia
• †Bickmorites
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous amphibian Brachydectes
  †Brachydectes – type locality for genus
  • †Brachydectes newberryi – type locality for species
• †Broiliellus
• †Calamites
  • †Calamites carinatus
  • †Calamites cisti
  • †Calamites suckowi
  • †Calamites suckowii
  • †Calamites undulatus
• †Callixylon
• †Camarotoechia
• 

  Restoration of the Middle Ordovician-Silurian nautiloid cephalopod Cameroceras feeding on an Aphetoceras, while a quartet of Cyclostomiceras swim by
  †Cameroceras
• †Catenipora
• †Centroceras
• †Ceratocephala
• †Ceratopsis
• †Ceraurinus
• †Ceraurus
• †Chagrinia
• †Charactoceras
• †Chasmatopora
• †Chasmops
• †Chaunograptus
• †Chondrites
• †Chonetes
• 

  Assemblage of fossilized shells of the Ordovician brachiopod Cincinnetina
  †Cincinnetina
  • †Cincinnetina meeki
  • †Cincinnetina multisecta
• †Cladochonus
• †Cladoselache
• †Clarkesvillia
• †Climacograptus
• †Coenites
• †Colosteus
• †Columnaria
  • †Columnaria calicina
• †Composita
  • †Composita subtilita
• †Conchidium
• †Constellaria
• †Cordaites
  • †Cordaites principalis – or unidentified comparable form
• †Cornulites
  • †Cornulites flexuosus
• Craniella
• †Crepipora
• †Ctenacanthus
• †Ctenerpeton
• †Ctenospondylus
• †Cyclonema
• †Cyclopteris
• †Cypricardinia
  • †Cypricardinia indenta
• †Cyrtolites
• †Cyrtospirifer
• †Cystodictya
• †Decadocrinus
• †Diceratosaurus
  • †Diceratosaurus brevirostris – type locality for species
• †Dictyonema
• †Dinichthys
  • †Dinichthys herzeri
• †Diploceraspis
• †Diplograptus
• Discina
• †Dolichopterus
• 

  Mounted skull of the Late Devonian placoderm fish Dunkleosteus
  †Dunkleosteus
• †Ecdyceras
• †Edmondia
• †Edon
• †Eldredgeops
  • †Eldredgeops rana
• †Elita
• †Elpe
• †Elrodoceras
• †Emmonsia
• †Endoceras
• †Erettopterus
• †Erpetosaurus
• †Eucalyptocrinites
• †Euomphalus
  • †Euomphalus planodorsatus
• 

  Life restoration of Silurian eurypterid ("sea scorpion") Eurypterus
  †Eurypterus
  • †Eurypterus ornatus
• †Eusauropleura – type locality for genus
• †Faberia
• †Faberoceras
• †Favosites
  • †Favosites discoideus
  • †Favosites favosus
  • †Favosites hisingeri
  • †Favosites turbinatus
• †Fayettoceras
• †Fenestella
• †Flexicalymene
  • †Flexicalymene meeki
• †Foerstia
• †Fusulina
• †Gilbertsocrinus
• †Glyptocrinus
• 

  Multiple views of a fossil of the Ordovician horn coral Grewingkia
  †Grewingkia
  • †Grewingkia rusticum
• †Hallopora
  • †Hallopora subnodosa
• †Halysites
• †Hamiltonella
• †Helcionopsis
• †Heliophyllum
  • †Heliophyllum halli
• †Helminthochiton
• †Hexagonaria
• †Hexameroceras
• †Hindia
• †Holopea
• †Holoptychus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Hyolithes
• †Icriodus
• †Iocrinus
• †Isodectes
• †Isonema
• 

  Fossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus.
  †Isotelus
  • †Isotelus maximus
• †Kindleoceras
• †Kionoceras
• †Kockelella
• †Lambeoceras
• †Leiosphaeridia
• †Lepidodendron
  • †Lepidodendron aculeatum
• Lingula
• †Liroceras – tentative report
• †Loxomma
  • †Loxomma lintonensis – type locality for species
• †Maelonoceras
• †Manitoulinoceras
• †Manticoceras
• †Marsupiocrinus
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous amphibian Megalocephalus
  †Megalocephalus – type locality for genus
  • †Megalocephalus lineolatus – type locality for species
• †Megalograptus
• †Metaxys
• †Michelinoceras
• Modiolus
• †Molgophis – type locality for genus
• †Mucrospirifer
  • †Mucrospirifer grabaui – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Mucrospirifer mucronatus
  • †Mucrospirifer prolificus
• †Murchisonia
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Devonian – Triassic sea snail Naticopsis
  †Naticopsis
  • †Naticopsis comperta
  • †Naticopsis levis
• †Neospirifer
  • †Neospirifer cameratus
  • †Neospirifer dunbari
• †Neuropteris
  • †Neuropteris heterophylla
  • †Neuropteris ovata
  • †Neuropteris scheuchzeri
• †Nodonema
• Nucula
• † Nyassa
• †Odonterpeton – type locality for genus
  • †Odonterpeton triangulare – type locality for species
• †Odontopleura
• †Oestocephalus – type locality for genus
  • †Oestocephalus amphiuminum – type locality for species
• †Olenoides
• †Oncoceras
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian synapsid (mammal precursor) Ophiacodon
  †Ophiacodon
  • †Ophiacodon uniformis – or unidentified comparable form
• †Orthoceras
• †Oulodus
• †Ozarkodina
  • †Ozarkodina confluens
• †Paraspirifer
• †Pattersonia
• †Pecopteris
  • †Pecopteris arborescens
  • †Pecopteris hemitelioides
  • †Pecopteris unita
• †Pentamerus
• †Petalodus
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian amphibian Phlegethontia.
  †Phlegethontia – type locality for genus
  • †Phlegethontia linearis – type locality for species
  • †Phlegethontia longissima – type locality for species
• †Phragmolites
  • †Phragmolites elegans – type locality for species
• †Phylloporina
• Pinna
• †Plaesiomys
• †Platyceras
  • †Platyceras bucculentum
  • †Platyceras carinatum
  • †Platyceras rarispinum
• †Platyrhinops – type locality for genus
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Middle Ordovician-Silurian brachiopod Platystrophia
  †Platystrophia
  • †Platystrophia acutilirata
  • †Platystrophia annieana
  • †Platystrophia clarksvillensis
  • †Platystrophia cypha
  • †Platystrophia moritura
• †Pleurodictyum
• †Pleuroptyx – type locality for genus
• †Pleurorthoceras
• †Poleumita
• †Polygnathus
  • †Polygnathus eiflius
  • †Polygnathus linguiformis
  • †Polygnathus pseudofoliatus
  • †Polygnathus xylus
• †Posidonia
• †Proetus
• †Protobalanus
• †Protosalvinia
• 

  Life restoration with a conifer-like body plan of the Silurian-Late Devonian tree-like probable fungus Prototaxites. John William Dawson (1888).
  †Prototaxites
• †Pterochiton
• †Pterotheca
• †Pterygotus
• †Ptyonius
  • †Ptyonius marshii – type locality for species
• †Pugnax
• †Reteocrinus
• †Rhizocorallium
• †Richmondoceras
• †Rusophycus
• †Samaropsis
• †Sauropleura – type locality for genus
  • †Sauropleura pectinata – type locality for species
• †Sigillaria
  • †Sigillaria brardii
  • †Sigillaria elegans
• †Similodonta – tentative report
• Solemya
• †Solenomorpha
• †Sowerbyella
• 

  Fossilized leaves and branches of the Devonian-Triassic horsetail relative Sphenophyllum
  †Sphenophyllum
  • †Sphenophyllum majus
  • †Sphenophyllum oblongifolium
• †Sphenopteris
  • †Sphenopteris elegans – or unidentified comparable form
• †Sphenothallus
• †Spirifer
  • †Spirifer opimus
• Spirorbis
• †Spyroceras
• †Stegops
• 

  Life restorations of a male (foreground) and female (background) of the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Chimaera relative Stethacanthus
  †Stethacanthus
  • †Stethacanthus altonensis
• †Stigmatella
• †Strophomena
  • †Strophomena concordensis
  • †Strophomena erratica
  • †Strophomena extenuata
  • †Strophomena neglecta
  • †Strophomena nutans
  • †Strophomena planumbona
  • †Strophomena sulcata
• †Stylonema
• †Subulites
• †Syntomopterus
• †Syringopora – tentative report
• †Teichichnus
• †Tentaculites
• †Tetradium
• †Tornoceras
• †Treptoceras
• †Triarthrus
• †Triendoceras – tentative report
• †Trocholites
• 

  Life restoration of the Carboniferous amphibian Tuditanus
  †Tuditanus – type locality for genus
  • †Tuditanus punctulatus – type locality for species
• †Urasterella
• †Vinella
• †Walchia
• †Westonoceras
• †Whiteavesia
• †Wilkingia
• †Worthenia
• †Wurmiella
  • †Wurmiella excavata
• †Xyloiulus
• †Zittelloceras
• †Zoophycos

Mesozoic

The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Mesozoic fossils in Ohio.

Cenozoic

• Acella
  • †Acella haldermani
• Amnicola
• †Arctodus
  • †Arctodus simus
• †Bembidium
  • †Bembidium fragmentum – type locality for species
• Castor
  • †Castor canadensis
• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene giant beaver Castoroides
  †Castoroides
  • †Castoroides ohioensis
• †Cervalces
  • †Cervalces scotti
• Clethrionomys
  • †Clethrionomys gapperi
• Equus
• Erethizon
  • †Erethizon dorsatum
• Fossaria
• Gyraulus
  • †Gyraulus deflectus
  • †Gyraulus parvus
• Helisoma
  • †Helisoma anceps
• Helophorus
  • †Helophorus rigescens – type locality for species
• †Hydrochus
  • †Hydrochus amictus – type locality for species
• Lucina
• Lymnaea
• †Mammut
  • 

    Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
    †Mammut americanum
• †Megalonyx
  • †Megalonyx jeffersonii
• †Meomphix
• Microtus
  • †Microtus xanthognathus
• Mictomys
  • †Mictomys borealis
• Mustela
  • †Mustela americana
  • †Mustela richardsonii
• Odocoileus
  • 

    A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer
    †Odocoileus virginianus
• Ondatra
  • †Ondatra zibethicus
• Pekania
  • †Pekania pennanti
• Phenacomys
  • †Phenacomys intermedius
• Physa
  • †Physa heterostropha – or unidentified comparable form
• Picea
• Planorbis
• 

  Restoration of a herd of alarmed Miocene-Pleistocene peccaries of the genus Platygonus. Charles R. Knight (1922).
  †Platygonus
  • †Platygonus compressus
• Promenetus
  • †Promenetus exacuous
• Pterostichus
  • †Pterostichus dormitans – type locality for species
• Rangifer
  • †Rangifer tarandus
• Sorex
  • †Sorex cinereus
  • †Sorex hoyi
• Sphaerium
• Stagnicola
  • †Stagnicola lanceata
• Ursus
  • 

    A living Ursus arctos, or brown bear
    †Ursus arctos – type locality for species
• Valvata
  • †Valvata tricarinata