List of the prehistoric life of Tennessee
This list of the prehistoric life of Tennessee contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of Tennessee.
Precambrian
The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Precambrian fossils in Alabama.
Paleozoic
Selected Paleozoic taxa of Tennessee
- †Acodus
- †Actinoceras
- †Actinocrinites
- †Agaricocrinus
†Agaricocrinus americanus
Fossilized calyx of the Carboniferous crinoid ("sea lily") Agaricocrinus americanus, or the mushroom crinoid
- †Amplexopora
- †Amplexus
- †Ampyx
- †Aphetoceras
- †Atrypa
- †Atrypa reticularis – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- †Aulopora
- †Bellerophon
- †Bembexia
- †Bimuria
- †Bumastus
- †Calymene
- †Calyptaulax
- †Camarotoechia
- †Cartersoceras – type locality for genus
- †Ceratopsis
- †Ceraurinus
- †Ceraurus
- †Chasmatopora
- †Cheirurus
- †Chonetes
- †Chonetes glenparkensis – or unidentified related form
- †Christiania
†Cincinnetina_slab_3.jpg)
Assemblage of fossilized shells of the Ordovician brachiopod Cincinnetina - †Cladochonus
- †Cleiothyridina
- †Columnaria
- †Conocardium
- †Constellaria
- †Coolinia
- †Cornulites
- Costellirostra
- Crania
- †Craniops
- †Crepicephalus
- †Crepipora
- †Cruziana
- †Ctenostoma
- †Cyathocrinites
- †Cyclonema
- †Cyphaspis
- †Cypricardinia
†Cyrtoceras
Restoration of the Cambrian-Middle Devonian nautiloid cephalopod Cyrtoceras - †Cyrtolites
- †Cystodictya
- †Dalmanites
- †Dicoelosia
- †Dimerocrinites
- †Distomodus
- Dunkleosteus
- †Eatonia
- †Echinosphaerites
- †Eospirifer
- †Eretmocrinus
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†Eucalyptocrinites
Fossilized calyx of the Silurian-Middle Devonian crinoid ("sea lily") Eucalyptocrinites - †Favositella
- †Favosites
- †Fenestella
- †Fletcheria
- †Flexicalymene
- †Foerstia
- †Forbesiocrinus
†GilbertsocrinusFossilized calyx and partial stem of the Devonian-Carboniferous crinoid ("sea lily") Gilbertsocrinus - †Girvanella
- †Glyptocrinus
- †Gonioceras
- †Gravicalymene
- †Grewingkia
- †Hallopora
- †Hedstroemia
- †Helcionopsis
- †Hibbertia
- †Hindia
- †Holopea
- †Hyolithes
- †Illaenus
†IsotelusFossil of the Middle-Late Ordovician giant trilobite Isotelus. - †Kockelella
- †Krausella
- †Lingulella
- †Lonchodomas
- †Marsupiocrinus
- †Meristella
- †Meristina
- †Monomorphichnus
- †Orthoceras
- †Ozarkodina
- †Paciphacops
†Pentremites
Fossilized theca of the Carboniferous blastoid echinoderm ("sea bud") Pentremites - †Phragmolites
- †Phycodes
- †Phylloporina
- †Plaesiomys
- †Planolites
- †Platyceras – type locality for genus
- †Platycrinites
- †Platystrophia
- †Plectoceras
- †Pleurodictyum
- †Plumulites
- †Proetus
- †Protosalvinia
- †Pterotheca
- †Quadratia
†Rusophycus
Fossil of the arthropod burrow ichnogenus Rusophycus - †Sagenocrinites
- †Salterella
- †Siphonotreta
- †Skenidioides
- †Skolithos
- †Solenopora
- †Sowerbyella
- †Sphaerocodium – tentative report
- †Spirifer
- Spirorbis
- †Spyroceras
- †Stigmatella
†Strophomena
Fossilized shell of the Ordovician-Silurian brachiopod Strophomena - †Subulites
- †Taxocrinus
- †Tentaculites
- †Tetradium
- †Tricrepicephalus
- †Trimerus
- †Westonia
- †Whiteavesia
- †Wurmiella
Mesozoic
Selected Mesozoic taxa of Tennessee
- Acirsa
- Acmaea
†Acteon
A living Acteon barrel bubble sea snail - †Aenona
- Amauropsis
- †Ampullina
- †Ancilla
- †Anomia
- †Anomoeodus
- †Arca
- Arctica
†AvitelmessusFossil of the Late Cretaceous crab Avitelmessus - †Baculites
- Barbatia
- Brachidontes
- Cadulus
- Caestocorbula
- Callianassa
- †Calliomphalus
- †Calliomphalus americanus – type locality for species
Cancellaria
Shell of a Cancellaria nutmeg sea snail - Capulus
- †Caveola
- Cerithiopsis
- Cerithium
- Charonia
- Chiton
- Clavagella
- Cliona
- †Conorbis
- Corbula
- †Crania – tentative report
- †Crenella
- Cucullaea
- Cylichna
- †Dentalium
- †Discoscaphites
- †Dolicholatirus
- †Ecphora
- Edmontosaurus
- Edmontosaurus regalis - report made of unidentified related form
†Enchodus
Restoration of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene bony fish Enchodus, or the "saber-toothed herring" - †Eothoracosaurus
- †Eulima
- †Euspira
- †Eutrephoceras
- †Exilia
- †Exogyra
- Fasciolaria – tentative report
Gastrochaena.jpg)
A Gastrochaena marine bivalve - †Gegania
- Gemmula
- Glossus
- Glycymeris
- †Hamulus
- †Helicoceras
- †Hoploparia
†Inoceramus
Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size - †Ischyrhiza
- Latiaxis
- Limatula
- †Linearis
- Lithophaga
- Littorina
- Lopha
- †Lucina
- †Mammila
- Martesia
- †Mathilda
- Melanatria
- Membranipora
- Meretrix
- †Metopaster
- Micropora
- †Morea
†Mosasaurus
Life restoration of two of the Late Cretaceous Mosasaurus - †Neithea
- Nucula
- †Obeliscus
- †Odostomia
- †Odostomia plicata – type locality for species
- Opalia
- Ostrea
- Panopea
- † Paranomia
- †Pecten
- †Pedalion
- †Peneus
- Pholadomya
- †Plioplatecarpus
- Polinices
†Prognathodon
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Prognathodon preying upon an ammonoid cephalopod - †Protocardia
- †Pteria
- †Pterotrigonia
- Pycnodonte
- Ringicula
- Rissoina
- Rostellaria – tentative report
- †Sargana
- †Saurodon – tentative report
- † Scala
Scaphander
Shells in multiple views of a Scaphander canoe bubble sea snail - †Scaphites
- †Schizobasis
- Seila
- †Seminola
- Serpula
- Serpulorbis
- †Siphonaria
- Teinostoma
- Tellina
- †Tenea
- †Teredo
†Toxochelys
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous sea turtle Toxochelys - Trichotropis
- †Trigonia
- Trochus
- †Tuba
- Turbinella
- †Turricula
- Turris
- Turritella
- Yoldia
Cenozoic
- Aegolius
- Alligator
- Alnus
- †Ambystoma
- †Androglandula – type locality for genus
- †Androglandula tennessensis – type locality for species
- †Arctomeles
- †Arctomeles dimolodontus – type locality for species
- Athleta
- †Athleta rugatus
†Basilosaurus
Life restoration of the Eocene whale Basilosaurus - †Basilosaurus cetoides – or unidentified comparable form
- †Berhamniphyllum – type locality for genus
- †Berhamniphyllum claibornense – type locality for species
- Betula
- †Blattotermes
- †Blattotermes wheeleri – type locality for species
- Bonasa
- Brachidontes – or unidentified comparable form
- †Brachidontes saffordi
- †Caesalpinia
- †Caesalpinia claibornensis – type locality for species
- Canis
†Canis dirus – tentative report
Modern mounted skeleton of Canis lupus, the grey wolf, to scale with a fossilized skeleton of the Pleistocene wolf Canis dirus, or dire wolf
- Capella
- Carduelis
- Carpodacus
- Carya
- †Castaneoidea – type locality for genus
- †Castaneoidea puryearensis – type locality for species
- †Castanopsoidea – type locality for genus
- †Castanopsoidea columbiana – type locality for species
- Castor
†Castoroides
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene giant beaver Castoroides - Celtis
- Cervus
- Chaetura
- Chrysemys
- Clethrionomys
- Colaptes
- Coluber
- Corbula
- †Corbula subcompressa
†Cormohipparion – or unidentified comparable form
Fossilized skeleton preserved in situ (upper left, 2) of the Miocene-Pliocene horse Cormohipparion - Coturnicops
- Crassatella
- †Crassatella gabbi
- Crotalus
- Cucullaea
- †Cucullaea saffordi
- Cyanocitta
- Desmognathus
- Didelphis
- †Diplotropis
- †Diplotropis claybornensis – type locality for species
- †Ectopistes
†Ectopistes migratorius.jpg)
Taxidermied male Ectopistes migratorius, or passenger pigeon
- †Elater
- †Elater berryi – type locality for species
- †Eoglandulosa – type locality for genus
- †Eoglandulosa warmanensis – type locality for species
- †Eomimosoidea – type locality for genus
- †Eomimosoidea plumosa – type locality for species
- Eptesicus
- Equus
- †Equus complicatus
- †Equus leidyi
- Eremophila
- Erethizon
- Falco
†Falco sparverius
A living Falco sparverius, or American kestrel
- †Folindusia
- †Folindusia wilcoxiana
- †Formicium – type locality for genus
- †Formicium berryi – type locality for species
- †Fraxinus
- Geomys
- Glaucomys
- Glycymeris
- Glyptemys
- †Hippomaneoidea – type locality for genus
- †Hippomaneoidea warmanensis – type locality for species
- Hyla
- †Knightiophyllum
- †Knightiophyllum wilcoxianum
- †Laevibuccinum
- †Laevibuccinum constrictum
- Lepus
- Lontra
- Lynx
- †Lynx rufus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Machairodus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Mammut
- †Mammuthus
†Mammuthus primigenius
Life restorations of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon (right), and a Mammuthus primigenius, or wooly mammoth (left)
- Marmota
- †Mazzalina – or unidentified comparable form
- †Mazzalina impressa
- †Megatylopus – or unidentified comparable form
- Melanerpes
- †Melolonthites
- †Melolonthites collinsi – type locality for species
- Mephitis
†Mephitis mephitis_DSC_0030_cropped.jpg)
A living Mephitis mephitis, or striped skunk
- Mesalia
- †Mesalia hardemanensis
- †Mesalia pumila
- Microtus
- †Mylohyus
- Natica – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- †Natica saffordia
- Neotoma
- Notophthalmus
- Nuculana
- †Nuculana hannahae
- †Nuculana saffordana
- Odocoileus
†Odocoileus virginianus
A living Odocoileus virginianus, or white-tailed deer
- Ondatra
- Orthoyoldia
- †Orthoyoldia kindlei
- Ostrea
- †Ostrea crenulimarginata
- †Ostrea pulaskensis
- †Otiorhynchites
- †Otiorhynchites wilcoxianus
- †Ovibovini
- Paleofroeschnerius – type locality for genus
- †Paleofroeschnerius magnus – type locality for species
- †Paleojulacea – type locality for genus
- †Paleojulacea laxa – type locality for species
- Panthera
†Paramylodon
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Paramylodon - Pedioecetes
- Perisoreus
- Phenacomys
- Pholadomya
- †Pholadomya mauryi
- Picoides
- Pinicola
- Pinus
- Pipilo
- Pitar – tentative report
- †Pitar ripleyanus
- Pituophis
- Plethodon
- †Plionarctos
†Pristinailurus – type locality for genus
Life restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene red panda Pristinailurus, or Bristol's panda - †Pristinailurus bristoli – type locality for species
- Procyon
- Quercus
- †Regina – or unidentified comparable form
- Salix
- Sayornis
- Sciurus
- Scolopax
- Sistrurus – or unidentified comparable form
- Sitta
†Smilodon
Life restoration of the Pleistocene-Holocene saber-tooth cat Smilodon - Sorex
- Spermophilus
- Sternotherus
- Strix
Sturnella
A living Sturnella magna, or eastern meadowlark - Surnia
- Sylvilagus
- †Sylvilagus aquaticus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Sylvilagus floridanus
- Tamias
- Tamiasciurus
- Tapirus
†Teleoceras[1]
Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene rhinoceros Teleoceras - †Teleoceras aepysoma – type locality for species[2]
- Tellina
- †Tellina estellensis
- †Tornatellaea
- †Tornatellaea quercollis
- Trachemys
- †Trigonobalanoidea – type locality for genus
- †Trigonobalanoidea americana – type locality for species
- †Tsuga
- Turdus
- Turritella
- †Turritella saffordi
- †Turritella tennesseensis
- Tympanuchus
- Ulmus
- Ursus
†Ursus americanus
A living Ursus americanus, or American black bear
- Venericardia
- †Venericardia hijuana
- †Venericardia mediaplata
- Zonotrichia
References
- Citations
- ^ Rachel A. Short; Steven C. Wallace; Laura G. Emmert (2019). "A new species of Teleoceras (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Hemphillian of Tennessee" (PDF). Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 56 (5): 183–260.
- ^ Rachel A. Short; Steven C. Wallace; Laura G. Emmert (2019). "A new species of Teleoceras (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Hemphillian of Tennessee" (PDF). Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 56 (5): 183–260.
- Bibliography
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved December 17, 2021.