List of the prehistoric life of Massachusetts

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

Precambrian[]

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

Paleozoic[]

• 

  Fossil of the Cambrian trilobite Agraulos
  †Agraulos – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †
• †Aldanella
  • †
• † – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • † – broadly construed
• †Anabarites
  • †
• †
  • †
• †
  • †
• †Calodiscus
  • †
• †Camenella
  • † – tentative report
• 

  Fossil of Chancelloria
  †Chancelloria
• †Coleoloides
  • †
• †Condylopyge
• †Conotheca
  • †
• †
  • † – or unidentified comparable form
• †
  • †
• †Dromopus – tentative report
  • † – type locality for species
• †Eccentrotheca
  • †
• †
  • †
• †
  • †
• 

  Fossil of the Cambrian mollusc Halkieria.
  †Halkieria
• †Hyolithellus
  • † – or unidentified related form
• †Hyolithes
  • † – broadly construed
• †
  • †
• †Ladatheca – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †
• †Lapworthella
  • †
  • †
• †
  • †
• †Linguella
  • †
• † – tentative report
• 

  Restorative model of Microdictyon.
  †Microdictyon
• †Obolella
  • †
• †Obolus
  • † – tentative report
• †
  • †
• †Paradoxides
  • †
• †Pelagiella
• †
  • †
• †Rhombocorniculum
  • †
• †Scenella
  • †Scenella reticulata
• †Serrodiscus
  • †
• †
  • †
• † – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • †
• †Sunnaginia
  • †
• 

  Fossil of the mysterious Cambrian animal Torellella
  †Torellella
  • †
• †Watsonella
  • †

Mesozoic[]

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

A[]

• †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • †
  • †
• †Acteonella
• †
  • †
• †Amblonyx – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
• †Anchisauripus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • †
  • †
  • †Anchisauripus tuberosus – type locality for species
• 

  Restoration of the Early Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaur Anchisaurus
  †Anchisaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Anchisaurus polyzelus – type locality for species
• †
  • †
• †Anomoepus
  • †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †Anticheiropus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †Apatichnus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †Argoides
  • †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – tentative report
  • † – type locality for species

B[]

• 

  Illustration of a living Batrachoides toadfish
  †Batrachoides
  • †
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
• †
  • †
  • †
  • †
  • †
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †Brontozoum
  • †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • † – type locality for species

C[]

• †
• †
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
• †
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
• †
  • †
  • †
  • †
  • †
  • †
• †Corvipes – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †

E[]

• 

  Fossils of the large theropod dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Eubrontes
  †Eubrontes
  • †
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species

G[]

• †Gigandipus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• 

  Fossil negative with skin impressions of the theropod dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Grallator
  †Grallator – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • †Grallator cursorius – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – tentative report
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
  • †
• †
  • †

H[]

• †
  • †
• †
  • †
• †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
• †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
  • †
  • †
• †
  • †
  • †
• †
  • †
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †Hyphepus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species

I[]

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

K[]

• †Kayentapus
  • † – type locality for species

L[]

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

M[]

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

O[]

• †Ornithichnites – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• †Ornithoidichnites
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • † – type locality for species
• †Ornithopus
  • † – type locality for species
• †Otouphepus
  • † – type locality for species
• 

  Fossil from Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum of the Late Triassic-Middle Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaur footprint ichnogenus Otozoum
  †Otozoum – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • †Otozoum moodii – type locality for species

P[]

• †
  • †
• †
  • †
• †
  • †
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †Platypterna
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • † – type locality for species
  • †
  • †
• †Plesiornis – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• 

  Fossilized partial skeleton of the Early Jurassic theropod dinosaur Podokesaurus
  †Podokesaurus – type locality for genus
  • †Podokesaurus holyokensis – type locality for species
• †Polemarchus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species

S[]

• †^{[verification needed]}
  • †^{[verification needed]}
• †Saltator
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †Sauropus
  • † – type locality for species
• †Selenichnus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †Sillimanius
  • †
  • †
• 

  Fossils of the Cambrian-modern worm burrow ichnogenus Skolithos
  †Skolithos
• †
  • †
  • †
• †Stegomus
  • †Stegomus longipes – type locality for species
• †Stenonyx
  • † – type locality for species
• †Steropezoum
  • †
• †Steropoides
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species

T[]

• †Tarsodactylus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • † – type locality for species
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• †
  • †
• †Trihamus – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species
• • †
• † – type locality for genus
  • † – type locality for species

X[]

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

Cenozoic[]

This list of the Cenozoic life of Massachusetts contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of Massachusetts and are between 66 million and 10,000 years of age.

List[]

A[]

• • †
• Anadara
  • 

    Shell of an Anadara transversa, or transverse ark clam
    †Anadara transversa
• Angulus
  • †
• Anomia
  • †
  • †
• Astarte
  • †Astarte castanea
  • †
  • †Astarte undata
• Astyris
  • †Astyris lunata

B[]

• 

  Portrait of a living Balaenoptera baleen whale
  Balaenoptera
  • † – tentative report
• Balanus
  • †Balanus crenatus
• Boonea
  • †Boonea impressa
• Brachidontes
  • †
• Buccinum
  • †Buccinum undatum

C[]

• Callinectes
  • 

    A living Callinectes sapidus, or Chesapeake blue crab
    †Callinectes sapidus
• †Callophoca
  • †
• Caryocorbula
  • †
• Cliona
  • †Cliona sulphurea
• Colus
  • †Colus stimpsoni
• • †
• Crassostrea
  • †Crassostrea virginica
• Crenella
  • †Crenella glandula
• Crepidula
  • †Crepidula fornicata
  • †Crepidula plana
• Cumingia
  • †
• †
  • †
• Cyclocardia
  • †Cyclocardia borealis
  • †
• 

  Illustration of a living Cymindis ground beetle
  Cymindis
  • † – type locality for species

D[]

• 

  A living Donacia leaf beetle
  Donacia
  • † – type locality for species

E[]

• 

  Interior of the shell of an , or Atlantic jackknife clam
  Ensis
  • †Ensis directus
• Eontia
  • †
• Equus
• Eupleura
  • †Eupleura caudata

G[]

• Gemma
  • †Gemma gemma
• 

  Fossilized shell of a Glycymeris, or bittersweet clam
  Glycymeris
  • † – or unidentified related form

H[]

• • †

I[]

• Ilyanassa
  • †Ilyanassa obsoleta
  • †Ilyanassa trivittata
• Ischadium
  • 

    Shells of Ischadium recurvum, or hooked mussels
    †Ischadium recurvum

M[]

• Macoma
  • †Macoma balthica
• †Mammut
  • 

    Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
    †Mammut americanum
• †Mammuthus
• Mercenaria
  • †Mercenaria campechiensis
  • †Mercenaria mercenaria
• Mesodesma
  • †
• Modiolus
  • †
• †Monotherium
  • †Monotherium aberratum
• †Mya
  • †Mya arenaria
  • †Mya truncata
• Mytilus
  • †Mytilus edulis

N[]

• 

  Preserved Neverita moon sea snail
  Neverita
  • †
• Nucula
  • † – or unidentified related form

O[]

• 

  A living Odobenus rosmarus, or walrus
  Odobenus
• Odostomia
  • †
  • †
• Ostrea

P[]

• • †
• Panopeus
  • †Panopeus herbstii
• Petricola
  • †Petricola pholadiformis
• †Pinguinus
  • 

    Taxidermied specimen of Pinguinus impennis, or the great auk
    †Pinguinus impennis
• Placopecten
  • †Placopecten magellanicus
• † – or unidentified comparable form
  • †

S[]

• †Saxinis
  • † – type locality for species
• Serpula
  • †
• 

  Life restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon
  †Squalodon
  • †

T[]

• 

  Shell of a Tellina, or tellin
  Tellina
• Terebra
  • †
• Turbonilla
  • †Turbonilla interrupta
• Turritella

U[]

• Urosalpinx
  • 

    A living Urosalpinx sea snail, or oyster drill
    †Urosalpinx cinerea

References[]

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)