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Prehistoric Animals

Learn the real science behind prehistoric animals.

Browse through and learn about prehistoric animals. Each animal is linked to additional fossil facts, information, articles, pictures, fossil hunting sites.

VERTEBRATE FOSSILS

Vertebrates are animals that hava a spinal column, which is usually made of bone or cartilage. Vertebrates include mammals, reptiles, birds, dinosaurs, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrate Fossils are abundant in the fossil record. Most well known fossils are Vertebrates. Fossil Vertebrates first appear in the Cambrian from China. Below are facts on notable vertebraets, including Dinosaurs, Mosasaurs, Whales, and fish, including prehistoric sharks!

Dinosaurs

Dromaeosaurs

The Raptors
Flying Dinosaurs

When Dinosaurs Could Fly
Allosaurus

Apex Predator of the Morrison
Jurassic
Tyrannosaurus rex

Apex predator of Western U.S.
Cretaceous
Edmontosaurus

North Americas Best Studied Dinosaur
Cretaceous
Spinosaurus

Semi-Aquatic Dinosaur
Cretaceous
Triceratops

Herbavore of Western U.S.
Cretaceous

Reptiles

Mosasaurus

Great Marine Reptile
Cretaceous
Pterosaurs

Flying Reptiles
Triassic - Cretaceous

Cenozoic Land Mammals

There are over 6000 species of land mammals alive today and countless more in the past! Mammals rapidly diversified in the Cenozoic which started right after the Dinosaur Extinction. In the past, there were many more! Some of these were very unique and comparable to nothing alive today. During the Ice Ages there were Giant Ground Sloths, Saber Toothed Cats, Giant Shortfaced Bears, Cave Bears, Dire Wolves, and Cave Lions just to name a few!

Cave Bear - Ursus spelaeus

The Cave Bear
Pleistocene
Arsinoitherium

The Odd Twin Horned Mammal
Oligocene
Deinotherium - "Terrible Beast"

Giant Prehistoric Elephant
Miocene - Pliocene
Brontotheres - The Thunder Beasts

The Giant Horned Mammals
Eocene
Gomphotherium - The Weilded Beast

The Early Elephant
Miocene to Pliocene
Paraceratherium

The Giant Rhinoceros
Oligocene

Marine Mammals

Mammals returned to the sea sometime in the early Eocene. Once in the water, they quickly evolved taking over many echological niches left behind by the great marine reptiles of the Cretaceous. By the Miocene era, there was an immense variety of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), many of which looked similar to their modern counterparts.

Squalodon

The Shark-Toothed Whale
Oligocene - Miocene
Eurhinodelphis

The Long-Snouted Dolphin
Miocene
Sperm Whales

Physeter - Sperm Whales
Miocene - Recent

Sharks

What are sharks? Sharks are fish. They are classified as cartilaginous fish. This means sharks do not have a hard skeleton, like us, instead their skeleton is made of a dense cartilage (similar to what the tip of your nose and ears are made of). The chondrichthyes class not only includes sharks, but also skates, rays, and chimaeras.

Specifically, sharks, skates, and rays belong to the Elasmobranchii subclass. This subclass contains 8 extant orders, which in itself contains over 600 species.

To learn more about sharks, please go to the SHARK page.

Carcharocles megalodon

The Megalodon
Miocene - Pliocene

Carcharodon Carcharias

The Great White
Miocene - Recent

Carcharodon hubbelli

Hubbell's White Shark
Late Miocene

Carcharodon hastalis

Narrow White Shark
Miocene - Pliocene

Carcharodon planus

Hooked White Shark
Miocene

Carcharodon plicatilis

Giant White Shark
Miocene - Pliocene

Carcharomodus escheri

Escher's White Shark
Miocene - Pliocene

Carcharhinus sp.

The Gray Sharks
Eocene - Recent

Galeocerdo

Tiger Sharks
Eocene - Recent

Mitsukurinidae Family

Goblin Sharks
Cretaceous - Recent

Hemipristis

Snaggletooth Sharks
Eocene - Recent

Hexanchus

Sixgill Cow Shark
Cretaceous - Recent

Isurus

Mako Sharks
Eocene - Recent

Notorynchus

Sevengill Cow Shark
Paleocene - Recent

Physogaleus contortus

Tiger-like Shark
Oligocene - Miocene

Rhincodon

Whale Sharks
Eocene - Recent

Sphyrna

Hammerhead Sharks
Oligocene - Recent

Placoderms

Placoderms were a type of prehistoric fish that lived from the Ordovician throughout the Devonian. They are known for armor plated heads and jaws. They had no teeth, but the jaws often were sculpted into blades. They came in a wide array of shapes and sizes, with the largest being the giant Dunkleosteus terrelli of the Devonian!

Dunkleosteus - The Apex predator of the Devonian

Dunkleosteus Guide

The apex predator of the North American Devonian seas

INVERTEBRATE FOSSILS

Invertebrates include most animals without a spinal column. Well known Prehistoric Invertebrates include Arthropods, such as Trilobites and Sea Scorpions (Eurypterids).

Trilobites

Trilobites are Arthropods. They look like little hard shelled insects, and are often nicknamed "bugs" by fossil collectors. However, they are not related to insects. Trilobites are an extinct clade of Arthropods (like crustaceans). Nothing like them exists today.

Trilobites are diverse! They belong to the class called Trilobita. This class contains over 20,000 species of trilobites!

To learn more about trilobites, please go to the TRILOBITE page.

Asaphiscus wheeleri

Ptychopariida Order
North America - Cambrian

Elrathia kingii

Ptychopariida Order
North America - Cambrian

Agnostid Trilobites

Ptychopariida Order
North America - Cambrian

Cryptolithus

Asaphida Order
North America - Ordovician

Triarthrus

Ptychopariida Order
North America - Ordovician

Eldredgeops (Phacops)

Phacopida Order
North America - Devonian

Huntonia Trilobites

Phacopida Order
North America - Devonian

Eurypterids

Eurypterids, or Sea Scorpions are an order on ancient arthropods that live in the Paleozoic seas. They tended to live in very shallow water. Although they resemble scorpions, Eurypterids are not related to them. Most Eurypterids were under a foot in length, however, some grew over 7 feet in length. For more information, go to the Eurypterids Gallery.

Eurypterids

Sea Scorpions - New York State Fossil
Ordovician - Permian

PLANT FOSSILS

Invertebrates include most animals without a spinal column. Well known Prehistoric Invertebrates include Arthropods, such as Trilobites and Sea Scorpions (Eurypterids).

Modern Plants

Olive Trees - Where Mythology and Paleontology Collide

Olea europaea

Olive Tree
Olive Fossils of Greece - Where Mythology and Paleontology Collide

Recommended Gear and Books for Fossil Hunting

INCLY Amazon Store: Rock Hounding Gear

INCLY Amazon Store: Rock Hounding Gear

INCLY provides budget-friendly rock hounding gear, ranging from the widely favored (4.6/5 stars) 15-piece Geology kit featured in the image to compact 4 and 5-piece sets. These tools are ideal for fossil and mineral collecting, particularly in harder matrixes and shale.

Roadside Geology Series by Mountain Press

Roadside Geology Series Books by Mountain Press

The Roadside Geology Series offers state-specific paperback books, serving as valuable mile-by-mile guides with detailed maps and illustrations. Despite not pinpointing fossil hunting spots, these affordable books enhance understanding of regional geology. Highly recommended for fossil hunters, I've personally enjoyed the Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania editions.

101 American Fossil Sites You've Gotta See

101 American Fossil Sites You've Gotta See
Albert B Dickas, 2018

This is a great updated fossil sites book with at least one fossil site in each state. Each site is broken into 2 pages. One has detailed information, such as directions, GPS coordinates, formation information, etc... The other is dedicated to images of the site and the fossils found there. It also gives information on fossil 'viewing' sites such as dinosaur trackways, museums, and active excavations.
Plus, my fossil photos are peppered throughout this book!

FOSSILGUY.COM

"Celebrating the Richness of Paleontology through Fossil Hunting"

PREHISTORIC ANIMALS - FOSSIL GALLERY

Prehistoric Animals

Learn the real science behind prehistoric animals.

VERTEBRATE FOSSILS

Dinosaurs

Dromaeosaurs

Flying Dinosaurs

Allosaurus

Tyrannosaurus rex

Edmontosaurus

Spinosaurus

Triceratops

Reptiles

Mosasaurus

Pterosaurs

Cenozoic Land Mammals

Cave Bear - Ursus spelaeus

Arsinoitherium

Deinotherium - "Terrible Beast"

Brontotheres - The Thunder Beasts

Gomphotherium - The Weilded Beast

Paraceratherium

Marine Mammals

Squalodon

Eurhinodelphis

Sperm Whales

Sharks

Carcharocles megalodon

Carcharodon Carcharias

Carcharodon hubbelli

Carcharodon hastalis

Carcharodon planus

Carcharodon plicatilis

Carcharomodus escheri

Carcharhinus sp.

Galeocerdo

Mitsukurinidae Family

Hemipristis

Hexanchus

Isurus

Notorynchus

Physogaleus contortus

Rhincodon

Sphyrna

Placoderms

Dunkleosteus Guide

INVERTEBRATE FOSSILS

Trilobites

Asaphiscus wheeleri

Elrathia kingii

Agnostid Trilobites

Cryptolithus

Triarthrus

Eldredgeops (Phacops)

Huntonia Trilobites

Eurypterids

Eurypterids

PLANT FOSSILS

Modern Plants

Olea europaea

Recommended Gear and Books for Fossil Hunting

Related Content

Fossil Sites

What is a Fossil?

The Colors of Shark Teeth

Paleontologist Interviews

The Megalodon

Shark Fossils

About the Author

The Author

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