List of the Mesozoic life of North Carolina

This list of the Mesozoic life of North Carolina contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of North Carolina and are between 252.17 and 66 million years of age.

A

• Acesta
• †Achrostichites – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Achrostichites linnaeafolius
• Acirsa
• †Acutostrea
  • †Acutostrea plumosa
• †Adocus

• 

  Illustration of the reconstructed skeleton of the Late Triassic Aetosaurus. Othniel Charles Marsh (1895).

  †Aetosaurus
• †Aldebarania – type locality for genus
  • †Aldebarania arenitea – type locality for species
• †Alinka – type locality for genus
  • †Alinka cara – type locality for species
• †Alisporites
  • †Alisporites ovatus
• †Ambigostrea
  • †Ambigostrea sloani
  • †Ambigostrea tecticosta
• †Ampullina – tentative report
• Amuletum – tentative report
• †Anchura
• †Androvettia
  • †Androvettia carolinensis
  • †Androvettia statenensis

• 

  Interior and exterior of a shell of an Anomia, or jingle shell

  †Anomia
  • †Anomia argentaria
  • †Anomia fearensis
  • †Anomia fulleri
  • †Anomia linifera
  • †Anomia lintea
  • †Anomia lintea donohuensis
  • †Anomia olmstedi
  • †Anomia ornata
  • †Anomia penderana
  • †Anomia tellinoides
• †Anomoeodus
  • †Anomoeodus phaseolus
• Anteglosia – tentative report
• †Apatopus
  • †Apatopus lineatus
• †Aphrodina
  • †Aphrodina tippana
• Appalachiosaurus
• †Arca
  • †Arca bladensis
• Architectonica
• †Architipula
  • †Architipula youngi – type locality for species

• 

  Restoration of the Late Triassic lungfish Arganodus with an anachronistic human to scale

  †Arganodus
• †Argyrarachne – type locality for genus
  • †Argyrarachne solitus – type locality for species
• Astarte – tentative report
• †Asteracanthus
• Ataphrus
  • †Ataphrus kerri
• †Atreipus
  • †Atreipus milfordensis

B

• †Baena – tentative report
• †Baikuris – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• Barbatia
  • †Barbatia carolinensis
• †Belemnitella
  • †Belemnitella americana
• †Beretra

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous-Eocene crocodilian Borealosuchus

  †Borealosuchus
  • †Borealosuchus formidabilis
• †Boreogomphodon
  • †Boreogomphodon jeffersoni
• †Bothremys
  • †Bothremys cooki
• Botula
  • †Botula carolinensis
• †Brachiophyllum
• †Brachychirotherium – or unidentified comparable form
• †Brachymeris
  • †Brachymeris alta
• †Brachyphyllum
  • †Brachyphyllum squammosum
  • †Brachyphyllum squamosum
• †Brachyrhizodus
  • †Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis
  • †Brachyrhizodus witchitaensis
• †Brachyrhyphus – type locality for genus
  • †Brachyrhyphus distortus – type locality for species
• †Buccinopsis
  • †Buccinopsis globosa

C

• Caestocorbula
  • †Caestocorbula crassiplica
  • †Caestocorbula williardi
• Callucina
  • †Callucina ripleyana
• †Camptonectes
  • †Camptonectes berryi – tentative report
  • †Camptonectes bubonis
  • †Camptonectes hilgardi
• Candona
  • †Candona rogersii
• †Cantioscyllium [1]
  • †Cantioscyllium clementsi – type locality for species[1]
• Carcharias – tentative report
• Cardium [fr; nl; sv]

• 

  Known material diagram illustrating a reconstructed skull and body of the Late Triassic distant crocodilian relative Carnufex

  †Carnufex – type locality for genus
  • †Carnufex carolinensis – type locality for species
• Caryocorbula
  • †Caryocorbula oxynema
• Cerithiella
  • †Cerithiella imlayi
  • †Cerithiella nodoliratum
  • †Cerithiella semirugatum
• †Cerithioderma
• †Chedighaii
  • †Chedighaii barberi
• †Chedignaii
  • †Chedignaii hutchisoni

• 

  Life restoration of the face of the Late Cretaceous multituberculate mammal Cimolomys

  †Cimolomys
• †Cionichthys
• Cladophlebis
  • †Cladophlebis microphylla
• Cliona
• †Coahomasuchus
• †Colognathus
  • †Colognathus obscurus
• †Compostrobus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Compostrobus neotericus
• †Compsosaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Compsosaurus priscus – type locality for species
• †Compsostrobus
  • †Compsostrobus neotericus – type locality for species
• Corbula
  • †Corbula carolinensis – tentative report
  • †Corbula subgibbosa – tentative report
• †Costellacesta
  • †Costellacesta insolita
• Crassatella
  • †Crassatella hodgei
  • †Crassatella neusensis
  • †Crassatella vadosa
• †Crenella
  • †Crenella mitchelli
  • †Crenella serica

• 

  Fossil of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene shark Cretolamna

  †Cretolamna
  • †Cretolamna appendiculata lata
  • †Cretolamna biauriculata
  • †Cretolamna serrata
• †Crosaphis
  • †Crosaphis virginiensis
• †Crosbysaurus

• 

  Shell of a Cucullaea, or false ark shell

  Cucullaea
  • †Cucullaea capax
• †Cyathofoma
• Cylichna
• †Cylindracanthus
  • †Cylindracanthus rectus
• †Cymbophora
  • †Cymbophora cancellosa
  • †Cymbophora conradi
  • †Cymbophora trigonalis
• †Cymella
• †Cyprimeria
  • †Cyprimeria coonensis
  • †Cyprimeria depressa
  • †Cyprimeria gabbi
• Cyzicus

D

• †Darwinula

• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous Alligator relative Deinosuchus

  †Deinosuchus
  • †Deinosuchus rugosus
• Dictyocephalus – type locality for genus
  • †Dictyocephalus elegans – type locality for species
• †Dictyophyllum
• †Diplurus
  • †Diplurus newarki – or unidentified comparable form
• †Dreissena – tentative report
• †Dromatherium – type locality for genus
  • †Dromatherium sylvestre – type locality for species
• †Dromicosuchus – type locality for genus
  • †Dromicosuchus grallator – type locality for species
• Dryptosaurus

E

• †Egertonia
• †Elatocladus – or unidentified comparable form

• 

  Restoration of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene bony fish Enchodus, or the "saber-toothed herring"

  †Enchodus
  • †Enchodus petrosus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Equisetum
• †Estheria
  • †Estheria ovata
• †Etea
  • †Etea grandis
• †Euspira
  • †Euspira rectilabrum
• †Eutrephoceras
  • †Eutrephoceras dekayi
• †Exogyra
  • †Exogyra cancellata
  • †Exogyra costata
  • †Exogyra costata spinosa
  • †Exogyra ponderosa erraticostata

F

• †Flemingostrea
  • †Flemingostrea blackensis
  • †Flemingostrea pratti
  • †Flemingostrea subspatula
  • †Flemingostrea subspatulata
• †Franxinopsis

G

• Gegania
• †Geinitzia
  • †Geinitzia reichenbachii

• 

  Fossilized shell of a Glycymeris, or bittersweet clam

  Glycymeris
  • †Glycymeris subgyrata
• †Gorgetosuchus – type locality for genus
  • †Gorgetosuchus pekinensis – type locality for species
• †Gorgosaurus
• †Graciliala
  • †Graciliala johnsoni – tentative report
• †Granocardium
  • †Granocardium alabamense
• Gyrodes
• †Gyrotropis
  • †Gyrotropis kerri

H

• †Hadrosaurus
  • †Hadrosaurus minor – tentative report

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Halisaurus

  †Halisaurus
• †Hamulus
  • †Hamulus onyx
  • †Hamulus walkerensis
• †Harduinia
  • †Harduinia kellumi
  • †Harduinia moretonis
  • †Harduinia mortonis
• †Himeriella – or unidentified comparable form
• †Hybodus
  • †Hybodus montanensis
• †Hypolophus
• †Hypophylloceras

• 

  Fossilized vertebra of the Late Cretaceous duck-billed dinosaur Hypsibema

  †Hypsibema – type locality for genus
  • †Hypsibema crassicauda – type locality for species

I

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size

  †Inoceramus
• †Ischyodus
  • †Ischyodus bifurcatus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Ischyrhiza
  • †Ischyrhiza mira
• Isognomon
  • †Isognomon holmesi
• Isurus

L

• †Laccopteris
  • †Laccopteris smithii
• †Lamellaptychus
  • †Lamellaptychus beyrichodidayi
• †Laxispira
  • †Laxispira monilifera
• †Leehermania – type locality for genus
  • †Leehermania prorova – type locality for species
• †Legumen
  • †Legumen carolinensis – tentative report
  • †Legumen concentricum

• 

  Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous alligator relative Leidyosuchus

  †Leidyosuchus – tentative report
• †Lepacyclotes
• †Lepidodendron
• †Leptocycas – type locality for genus
  • †Leptocycas gracilis – type locality for species
• †Leptosolen
  • †Leptosolen biplicata
• Lima
  • †Lima oxypleura
  • †Lima pelagica
• Limatula
  • †Limatula acutilineata
• Limopsis
  • †Limopsis meeki
• †Linearis
  • †Linearis magnoliensis
  • †Linearis metastriata
• †Lingula
• †Linthia
  • †Linthia variabilis
• †Liopeplum
  • †Liopeplum tarensis
• †Liothyris
  • †Liothyris carolinensis
• †Liriodendroidea
  • †Liriodendroidea carolinensis – type locality for species
  • †Liriodendroidea latirapha – type locality for species
• †Lonchopteris
  • †Lonchopteris virginiensis

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Triassic-modern marine bivalve Lopha

  Lopha
  • †Lopha falcata
• †Lowenstamia
  • †Lowenstamia liratus – tentative report
• †Lucasuchus
  • †Lucasuchus hunti
• †Lucina
  • †Lucina repleyana

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Lytoceras

  †Lytoceras

M

• Martesia – tentative report
• †Mecistotrachelos
  • †Mecistotrachelos apeoros
• Melanatria – tentative report
• †Metarchilimonia
  • †Metarchilimonia krzeminskorum
  • †Metarchilimonia solita
• †Metreophyllum
• †Micrabacia
• †Microconodon – type locality for genus
  • †Microconodon tenuirostris – type locality for species
• †Morea
  • †Morea cancellaria
• †Moriconia
  • †Moriconia cyclotoxon
• †Mormolucoides
  • †Mormolucoides articulatus

• 

  Life restoration of two of the Late Cretaceous Mosasaurus

  †Mosasaurus
  • †Mosasaurus impar

N

• †Napulus
• †Nemodon
  • †Nemodon brevifrons

• 

  Fossilized foliage of the Triassic-Middle Jurassic horsetail relative Neocalamites

  †Neocalamites
  • †Neocalamites knowltoni
  • †Neocalamites knowtonii – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Neocalamites virginiensis
• Nerita
• Nucula
  • †Nucula stantoni
• Nuculana
  • †Nuculana kerrensis
  • †Nuculana multiconcentrica
• †Nymphalucina
  • †Nymphalucina parva

O

• Odontaspis
  • †Odontaspis samhammeri
• †Opertochasma

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous ostrich dinosaur Ornithomimus

  †Ornithomimus – tentative report
• †Ornopsis
• †Osteopleurus
• Ostrea
  • †Ostrea sloani
• †Otozamites
  • †Otozamites hespera
  • †Otozamites powelli

P

• 

  Fossilized foliage of the Carboniferous-Late Cretaceous plant Pagiophyllum

  †Pagiophyllum
  • †Pagiophyllum diffusum
  • †Pagiophyllum simpsoniae
• †Paladmete – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Paladmete gardnerae
• †Palaeolimnadia – tentative report
• †Palinandromeda
  • †Palinandromeda novaecaesareae
• †Pannaulika
  • †Pannaulika triassic
• Panopea
  • †Panopea decisa
  • †Panopea monmouthensis
• †Paralbula
  • †Paralbula casei
• †Paranomia
  • †Paranomia scabra
• †Pariostegus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Parmicorbula
  • †Parmicorbula bisulcata – tentative report
  • †Parmicorbula suffalciata
• †Pekinopteris – type locality for genus
  • †Pekinopteris auriculata – type locality for species
• †Pekinosaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Pekinosaurus olseni – type locality for species
• †Pelourdea
• Phacoides
  • †Phacoides glebula
• †Phlebopteris
  • †Phlebopteris smithii
• Pholadidea – tentative report

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Early Triassic-Pliocene marine bivalve Pholadomya

  Pholadomya
  • †Pholadomya littlei
  • †Pholadomya sublevis
• Phyllodus
• †Phyloblatta
  • †Phyloblatta grimaldii – type locality for species
• †Pinna
• †Placenticeras – tentative report

• 

  Restoration of the Late Triassic synapsid (mammal precursor) Placerias with an anachronistic human to scale

  †Placerias
  • †Placerias hesternus
• †Platananthus
  • †Platananthus hueberi – type locality for species
• †Platanocarpus
  • †Platanocarpus carolinensis – type locality for species
• †Platecarpus
• †Pleuriocardia
  • †Pleuriocardia donohuense
  • †Pleuriocardia donohuensis
  • †Pleuriocardia penderense
• †Plicatolamna
  • †Plicatolamna arcuata – or unidentified comparable form
• †Plinthogomphodon – type locality for genus
  • †Plinthogomphodon herpetairus – type locality for species
• †Podozamites
• Polinices
• †Postligata
  • †Postligata greenensis
• †Postosuchus
  • †Postosuchus alisonae – type locality for species

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Prognathodon preying upon an ammonoid cephalopod

  †Prognathodon
• †Prosechamyia
  • †Prosechamyia dimedia
  • †Prosechamyia trimedia
• †Protocardia
  • †Protocardia spillmani
• †Protodonax
• †Pseudoctenis
• †Pseudolimea
  • †Pseudolimea kerri
  • †Pseudolimea reticulata
• †Pseudopolycentropodes – type locality for genus
  • †Pseudopolycentropodes virginicus – type locality for species
• †Pteria – tentative report
• †Pterocerella
• †Pterophyllum
• †Pterotrigonia
  • †Pterotrigonia bartrami – tentative report
  • †Pterotrigonia cerulea
  • †Pterotrigonia eufalensis
  • †Pterotrigonia eufaulensis
• †Pugnellus
• Pycnodonte
  • †Pycnodonte belli
  • †Pycnodonte vesicularis
• †Pyrgulifera – tentative report
• †Pyropsis

R

• †Radiopecten
  • †Radiopecten mississippiensis
  • †Radiopecten quinquinarius
• †Revueltosaurus
  • †Revueltosaurus olseni
• †Rhombodus
  • †Rhombodus binkhorsti – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Rhombodus laevis
• †Rostellites

• 

  Life restoration of the Late Triassic phytosaur Rutiodon

  †Rutiodon – type locality for genus
  • †Rutiodon carolinensis – type locality for species

S

• 

  Restoration of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Saurodon

  †Saurodon
• †Scapanorhynchus
  • †Scapanorhynchus texanus
• †Schizoneura
  • †Schizoneura virginiensis
• †Scoyenia – tentative report

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic bony fish Semionotus

  †Semionotus
• Serpula
  • †Serpula cretacea
• †Solyma
  • †Solyma elliptica
  • †Solyma levis
• †Sphaenobaeria
• †Sphenodiscus
• †Sphenozamites
• †Spirematospermum
  • †Spirematospermum chandlerae

• 

  Fossilized tooth of the Late Cretaceous shark Squalicorax

  Squalicorax
  • †Squalicorax kaupi
  • †Squalicorax pristodontus
• Squatina
  • †Squatina hassei
• †Stegomus
  • †Stegomus arcuatus
• †Stephanodus
• †Stephanophyllia
  • †Stephanophyllia cribraria – type locality for species
• Striarca
• †Striaticostatum
• †Syncyclonema
  • †Syncyclonema simplicius
• †Synodontaspis
  • †Synodontaspis holmdelensis
• †Synorichthys

T

• †Tanytrachelos – type locality for genus
  • †Tanytrachelos ahynis – type locality for species
• †Taphrosphys
  • †Taphrosphys dares – type locality for species
• †Tellinimera
  • †Tellinimera gabbi
  • †Tellinimera stephensoni

• 

  Fossilized shell of a Trachycardium cockle

  Trachycardium
  • †Trachycardium carolinensis
  • †Trachycardium longstreeti
  • †Trachycardium vaughani
• †Trachytriton – tentative report
• †Triassopsychoda
  • †Triassopsychoda olseni
• †Triassothrips – type locality for genus
  • †Triassothrips virginicus – type locality for species
• Trichotropis
  • †Trichotropis squamosa
• †Trigonarca
  • †Trigonarca elongata
  • †Trigonarca maconensis
  • †Trigonarca triquetra
• †Trigonia – tentative report
• Trionyx
  • †Trionyx halophilus
• Turritella
  • †Turritella kerrensis
  • †Turritella quadrilira
  • †Turritella trilira
• †Turseodus

• 

  Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Tylosaurus

  †Tylosaurus

U

• †Uatchitodon
  • †Uatchitodon schneideri – type locality for species
• †Uddenia
  • †Uddenia carolinensis
• †Unicardium
  • †Unicardium neusensis

V

• †Variseila – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Variseila meeki
• †Veniella
  • †Veniella conradi
  • †Veniella mullinensis
• †Veriplecia
  • †Veriplecia rugosa
• †Vetericardiella
• †Virginiptera
  • †Virginiptera certa
  • †Virginiptera lativentra – type locality for species
  • †Virginiptera similis
• †Voltzia
  • †Voltzia andrewsii – type locality for species

W

• †Williamsonia
• †Wingatea

X

• 

  Life restoration of the Cretaceous bony fish Xiphactinus

  †Xiphactinus
  • †Xiphactinus audax
  • †Xiphactinus vetus

Y

• †Yalea – type locality for genus
  • †Yalea argentata – type locality for species
  • †Yalea rectimedia

Z

• †Zamiostrobus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Zamiostrobus lissocardus

• 

  Fossil of the Early Triassic-Eocene cycad-like frond Zamites

  †Zamites
  • †Zamites powelli

References

1. Gerard R. Case; Todd D. Cook; Taylor Kightlinger; Paul D. Borodin (2019). "Middle Campanian euselachian diversity of the southern region of the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North America". Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology. 7: 69–82. doi:10.18435/vamp29345.

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.