List of the prehistoric life of South Carolina
This list of the prehistoric life of South Carolina contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of South Carolina.
Precambrian[]
The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Precambrian fossils in Alabama.
Paleozoic[]
- †Agraulos
- †
- †
- †Paradoxides
- † – or unidentified comparable form
- †Peronopsis
- †
- †Ptychagnostus
Fossil of the Cambrian trilobite Ptychagnostus- †
- †
Mesozoic[]
- †Acteon
A living Acteon barrel bubble sea snail - †
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- †Aenona
- †
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- †
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- †Anomia
Interior and exterior of a shell of an Anomia, or jingle shell- †
- †
- †Anomoeodus
- †
- †
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- †Arca
- †Archaeolamna
- †
- †Baculites
Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Baculites - †
- †
- †
- †
- †
- Botula
- †Botula carolinensis
- †
- †
- Caestocorbula
- †Caestocorbula crassaplica
- †Caestocorbula crassiplica
- †Caestocorbula terramaria
- †Calliomphalus
- †Calliomphalus americanus
- †Calliomphalus nudus
- Calyptraea
- †
- †
- †
- †Cantioscyllium
- †
- Carcharias
A living Carcharias sand tiger shark- †
- †
- Chiloscyllium
- Cliona
- †
- †
- Corbula
- Crassatella
- †
- †
- †Crenella
- †Crenella elegantula
- †Crenella serica
- †Cretalamna
Fossil of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene shark Cretolamna- †
- †Cretodus
- †
- Cucullaea
- †Cucullaea capax
- †Cucullaea littlei
- †Cucullaea powersi
- †
- †
- †Cuspidaria
- †Cuspidaria ampulla
- †
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- Cylichna
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- †Dentalium
Shell of a Dentalium tusk shell- †Dentalium leve
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- †Enchodus
Restoration of the Early Cretaceous-Eocene bony fish Enchodus, or the "saber-toothed herring"- †Enchodus petrosus
- †
- †Eulima
- †Euspira
- †
- †Exogyra
- †Exogyra costata
- †
- †Gegania
- Glossus
- Glycymeris
Fossilized shell of a Glycymeris, or bittersweet clam- †Glycymeris rotundata
- †
- †
- †
- †
- †
- †
- † – or unidentified comparable form
-
- †
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- †Hamulus
- † – tentative report
- †
- †
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- Heterodontus
A living Heterodontus, or bullhead shark- † – or unidentified related form
- †
- †
- †
- † – tentative report
- †Hybodus
- †Hypolophus
- †
- †Inoceramus
Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size - †Ischyrhiza
- †Ischyrhiza avonicola
- †Ischyrhiza mira
-
- †
- Laternula
- †
- † – or unidentified comparable form
- †
- †
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- Lima
- †
- Limatula
- †
- Limopsis
- †Linearis
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- †
- †
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- †
- † – tentative report
- †Lissodus
Electron micrograph of fossilized teeth from the Early Jurassic-Early Cretaceous freshwater shark Lissodus- †
- Lithophaga
- Lopha
- †Lopha falcata
- †
- †
- †
- †
- † – or unidentified comparable form
- †
- †
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- †Modiolus
- †Modiolus sedesclaris
- †Modiolus sedesclarus
- †Modiolus trigonus
- †Morea
- †
- †Mosasaurus
Life restoration of two of the Late Cretaceous Mosasaurus -
- †
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- Nucula
- †Nucula cuneifrons
- †Nucula percrassa
- Nuculana
- †
- †
- †
- † – tentative report
- Ostrea
- †Pachyrhizodus – or unidentified comparable form
Fossilized skeletons of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Pachyrhizodus - †
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- †Paralbula
- †
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- Polinices
Fossilized shell of the Paleocene-modern moon snail Polinices - †
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- †Protocardia
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-
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- †Pteria
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- †Pterotrigonia
- †Pterotrigonia cerulea
- †Pterotrigonia eufalensis
- †Pterotrigonia eufaulensis
- †Ptychotrygon
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- Pycnodonte
- †Pycnodonte vesicularis
- †
- †
- Rhinobatos
- †
- †Rhombodus
Restoration of the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene ray Rhombodus- †
- †
- Ringicula
- †Ringicula clarki
- †Sargana
- †
- †Schizorhiza
- †
- Serpula
- Solemya
- †Solyma
- † – or unidentified related form
- †Sphenodiscus
- Squalicorax
Fossilized tooth of the Late Cretaceous shark Squalicorax- †Squalicorax kaupi
- †Squalicorax pristodontus
- Squatina
- †
- †
- †Stephanodus – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- Striarca
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- Tellina
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- Trachycardium
- †Trachycardium eufaulensis
- Turritella
Fossilized shells of the Late Jurassic-modern tower snail Turritella- †Turritella bilira
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- †Turritella tippana
- †Turritella trilira
- †Turritella vertebroides
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Cenozoic[]
Selected Cenozoic taxa of South Carolina[]
- †Abra
- Acanthocardia
- Acteocina
Shells of Acteocina barrel-bubble sea snails - Acteon
- †Adeorbis
- †Adocus
- Aequipecten
- Agaronia
- Agassizia
- †Aglyptorhynchus
- †Agorophius
- Alligator
- †Alligator mississippiensis
A living Alligator mississippiensis, or American alligator
- Alopias
- †Alopias vulpinus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Altrix
- †Amalthea
- Ammonia
- Amphistegina
- Amusium
- Anachis
- Anadara
- Anatina
- Ancilla
Shell of an Ancilla sea snail - – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- Angulus
- Anomia
- †Anomia simplex
- Antalis
- Antigona
- Arbacia
- Arca
- Architectonica
- Arcinella
- †Arcinella arcinella
- †Arcinella cornuta
- †Arctodus
Restoration of an Arctodus, or short-faced bear, with a human to scale- †Arctodus pristinus
- Argopecten
- †Argopecten gibbus
- †Argopecten irradians
- Argyrotheca
- Astarte
- Astyris
- †Astyris lunata
- Athleta
- Atrina
Shell of an Atrina pen shell- †Atrina rigida
- †Atrina seminuda
- †Atrina serrata
- †Aturia
- Aulacomya
- Balaenoptera
- Balanophyllia
- Balanus
- Barbatia
- Barnea
- †Basilosaurus
Life restoration of the Eocene whale Basilosaurus - Bison
- †Bison antiquus
- †Bonellitia
- Boonea
- †Boonea seminuda
- †Borophagus
- †Borophagus hilli – or unidentified comparable form
- Borsonia
- Bostrycapulus
- †Bostrycapulus aculeatus
- †Bottosaurus
- †Braarudosphaera bigelowii
- Brachidontes
- †Brachidontes exustus
- Buccella
- Bullia
- Busycon
Fossilized shell in multiple views of a Busycon sea snail- †Busycon carica
- †Busycon contrarium
- †Busycon perversum
- Busycotypus
- †Busycotypus canaliculatus
- †Bythaelurus
- Cadulus
- Caecum
- †Caecum cooperi
- †Caecum imbricatum
- Caestocorbula
- Calliostoma
- Callista
- Calotrophon
- †Calotrophon ostrearum
- Calyptraea
- †Calyptraea centralis
- Cancellaria
- †Cancellaria reticulata
- Canis
- †Canis armbrusteri
- †Canis dirus
Modern mounted skeleton of Canis lupus, the grey wolf, to scale with a fossilized skeleton of the Pleistocene wolf Canis dirus, or dire wolf
- Carcharhinus
- Carcharias
- Carcharodon
- †Carcharodon hastalis
- Cardita
- Carditamera
- †Carolinacetus – type locality for genus
- Cassidulina
- Castor
- †Castor canadensis
- †Castoroides
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene giant beaver Castoroides- †Castoroides leiseyorum
- †Castoroides ohioensis – or unidentified comparable form
- Cerithiella – tentative report
- Cerithiopsis
- †Cerithiopsis emersonii
- Cerithium – tentative report
- †Cervalces
- †Cervalces scotti
- Cervus
- †Cervus elaphus
- Chama
- Cheilea
- Chelydra
- †Chelydra serpentina
- †Chesapecten
- †Chesapecten jeffersonius
- Chicoreus
- Chione
- †Chione cancellata
- Chlamys
- †Choneziphius
Skull - Chrysemys
- †Chrysemys floridana
- †Chrysocetus – type locality for genus
- Cibicides
- Cidaris
- Cinctura
- †Cinctura lilium
- Cirsotrema
- Cladocora
Fossilized Cladocora stony coral - Clavilithes
- Clavus
- Cliona
- Closia
- Coccolithus
- Cochlespira
- Cochliolepis
- Coelopleurus
- Coluber – or unidentified comparable form
- Columbellopsis
- Concavus
- Conomitra
- Conus
- †Conus delessertii
- †Conus jaspideus
- Coralliophila
- Corbicula
- Corbula
Shell of a Corbula basket clam - †Coronodon – type locality for genus
- †Cotylocara – type locality for genus
- †Coupatezia
- Crassostrea
- †Crassostrea virginica
- Crepidula
- †Crepidula convexa
- †Crepidula fornicata
- †Crepidula plana
- †Cretolamna
- †Cretolamna appendiculata
- Crucibulum
- Cryptonatica
- Cucullaea
- Cumingia
- †Cuvieronius
Life restoration of the Pliocene-Holocene elephant relative Cuvieronius - Cyclocardia
- Cylichna
- Cymbovula
- †Cymbovula acicularis
- Cypraea
- Cythara
- Cytherea
- Daphnella
- Dasyatis
- Dasypus
- †Dasypus bellus
Fossilized mandible in multiple views of the Pleistocene Dasypus bellus, or beautiful armadillo
- Dendraster
- Dentalium
- Dentimargo
- †Dentimargo aureocinctus
- Dinocardium
- Diodon
- Diodora
- Discinisca
- †Discoaster
- Discorbis
- Donax
- †Donax fossor
- †Donax variabilis
- †Dorudon – type locality for genus
Life restoration of the Eocene whaleDorudon- †Dorudon serratus – type locality for species
- Dosinia
- Echinocardium
- †Echovenator – type locality for genus
- †Ecphora
- Elaphe – or unidentified comparable form
- Elphidium
- Ensis
- †Ensis directus
- †Ensis minor
- †Eomysticetus – type locality for genus
- †Eosurcula
- Epitonium
- Equus
- †Eremotherium
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Eremotherium- †Eremotherium laurillardi
- Erethizon
- †Erethizon dorsatum
- Erignathus
- †Erignathus barbatus
- Ervilia
- Eupleura
- †Eupleura caudata
- Euspira
- †Eutrephoceras
- Evalea
- Fasciolaria
- †Fasciolaria tulipa
- †Ficopsis
- Ficus
A living Ficus, or fig tree - Finella
- †Finella dubia
- Flabellum
- Fusinus
- Galeocerdo
- †Galeocerdo aduncus
- †Galeocerdo cuvier
- Galeodea
- Galeorhinus
- Gari
- Gastrochaena
- †Gavialosuchus
Fossilized skull of the Miocene crocodile relative Gavialosuchus- †Gavialosuchus americanus
- Gegania
- Gemma
- Gemophos
- †Gemophos tinctus
- Geochelone
- †Georgiacetus
- †Georgiacetus vogtlensis – or unidentified comparable form
- †Gigantostrea
- Ginglymostoma
- Globigerina
- Globulina
- Glossus
- Glycymeris
- †Glycymeris americana
- †Glycymeris decussata
- Glyptoactis
- †Glyptotherium
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pleistocene armadillo relative Glyptotherium - Gopherus
- Gymnura
- Halichoerus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Halichoerus grypus
- †Halitherium
- †Halitherium alleni – type locality for species
- Hastula – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- Haustator
- †Hemiauchenia
- †Hemiauchenia macrocephala
- Hemipristis
- †Hemipristis serra
- Here
- Hexaplex
- Hiatella
- †Holmesina
Life restoration of the Pleistocene armadillo relative Holmesina with a human to scale - Horologica
- Hyotissa
- †Hyposaurus
- Ilyanassa
- †Ilyanassa obsoleta
- †Ilyanassa trivittata
- Infundibulum
- †Ischyodus
- †Isocrania
- Isognomon
- Kinosternon
- Kurtziella
- †Kurtziella cerina
- Laevicardium
- Lamna
A modern Lamna mackerel shark - Latirus – tentative report
- Lima
- Limaria
- Limatula
- Linga
- †Linthia
- Liotia
- Lithophaga
- Littoraria
- †Littoraria irrorata
- Lucina
Fossilized shell of the Devonian-modern marine bivalve Lucina- †Lucina pensylvanica
- Lunularia
- Lynx
- †Lynx rufus
- Lyria
- Macoma
- †Macoma balthica
- †Macoma tenta
- Macrocallista
- †Macrocallista maculata
- †Macrocallista nimbosa
- Mactra
- Malaclemys
- †Malaclemys terrapin
- †Mammut
- †Mammut americanum
Restoration of a Mammut americanum, or American mastodon
- †Mammuthus
- †Mammuthus columbi – or unidentified comparable form
- Manta
- †Manta fragilis
- Maretia
- Marginella
- Martesia
- †Mathilda
- †Mauricia
- †Megalonyx
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Megalonyx- †Megalonyx jeffersonii
- Meiocardia
- Melampus
- Melanella
- Menippe – tentative report
- Mercenaria
- †Mercenaria mercenaria
- Mesalia
- Mesodesma
- †Metaxytherium
- – tentative report
- Microdrillia
- †Miracinonyx
Restoration of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Miracinonyx, or American cheetah- †Miracinonyx inexpectatus
- Mitrella
- Mobula
- Modiolus
- Mulinia
- Murex
- Murexiella
- †Murexiella glypta
- †Murexiella macgintyi
- †Mya
- †Mya arenaria
- Myliobatis
- †Mylohyus
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Holocene peccary Mylohyus- †Mylohyus fossilis – or unidentified comparable form
- Mytilus
- †Nanosiren – tentative report
- Nassarius
- †Nassarius acutus
- †Nassarius vibex
- Natica
- Naticarius
- Nebrius
- †Neochoerus
- †Neochoerus aesopi
- †Neochoerus pinckneyi
- Neofiber
A living Neofiber, or round-tailed muskrat- †Neofiber alleni
- Neomonachus
- †Neomonachus tropicalis
- Neverita
- Nodipecten
- Nucula
- †Nucula proxima
- †Nuculana acuta
- Oculina
- Odobenus
- †Odobenus rosmarus
A living Odobenus rosmarus, or walrus
- Odocoileus
- †Odocoileus virginianus
- Odostomia
- †Odostomia pedroana – or unidentified comparable form
- Oliva
- †Oliva sayana
- Olivella
- †Ontocetus
- †Ontocetus emmonsi
- †Ophiomorpha
- †Osteopygis
- Ostrea
- †Otodus
- †Otodus megalodon
Diagram illustrating the largest (grey) and most conservative (red) size estimates of the Miocene-Pliocene shark Carcharocles megalodon (sometimes Carcharodon or Otodus megalodon) with a whale shark (violet), great white shark (green), and anachronistic human (black) to scale
- †Oxyrhina
- †Pachecoa
- †Pachyarmatherium
- †Pachyarmatherium leiseyi
- †Palaeochenoides – tentative report
- †Palaeochenoides mioceanus
- †Palaeolama
- †Palaeophis
- Pandora
- Panopea
- Panthera
- †Panthera leo
- †Panthera onca
- †Paramylodon
- †Paramylodon harlani – or unidentified comparable form
- Parvanachis
- †Parvanachis obesa
- Pecten
- †Pelagornis
Life restoration of the Oligocene-Pleistocene false-toothed bird Pelagornis- †Pelagornis sandersi – type locality for species
- Penion
- Petaloconchus
- Petricola
- †Petricola pholadiformis
- Phalium
- Phoca
- Pholadomya
- Pholas
- Phos
- Phyllonotus
- †Phyllonotus pomum
- Physa
- Physeter
A living Physeter macrocephalus, or sperm whale - †Physogaleus
- Pinna
- Pitar
- Placopecten
- Planorbis
- Pleuromeris
- Pleurotomaria
- Plicatula
- †Plicatula gibbosa
- Polinices
- Polymesoda
- †Polymesoda caroliniana
- †Prionodon
- Pristis
A living Pristis sawfish - †Procolpochelys
- Procyon
- †Procyon lotor
- †Protosiren
- Prunum
- †Prunum roscidum
- Psammechinus
- †Psephophorus
Hypothetical restoration of the Oligocene-Pliocene sea turtle Psephophorus - Pseudochama
- Pseudoliva
- Pseudorca
- †Pseudorca crassidens
- Pteria
- Pteromeris
- †Puma
A living Puma- †Puma concolor
- Puncturella
- Pusula
- †Pusula pediculus
- Pycnodonte
- Pyramidella
- †Quadrans
- Quinqueloculina
- Raja
- Rangia
- Rangifer
- †Rangifer tarandus – or unidentified comparable form
- Ranina
- Raphitoma
- Retusa
- Rhincodon
A living Rhincodon, or whale shark- †Rhincodon typus – or unidentified comparable form
- Rhinobatos
- Rhinoptera
- †Rhinoptera bonasus – or unidentified comparable form
- Rhizoprionodon
- Rhynchobatus
- Rosalina
- Rostellaria – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- Sassia
- Sayella
- †Sayella fusca
- Scapharca
- Scaphella
- Schizoporella
- †Schizoporella unicornis
- Sconsia
- Scyliorhinus – tentative report
- Seila
- Semele
- Serpulorbis
- Sigatica
- †Sigatica carolinensis
- Sigmodon
- Sinum
- †Smilodon
Life restoration of the Pleistocene-Holocene saber-tooth cat Smilodon- †Smilodon fatalis
- Solariella
- Solemya
- Solen
- †Solen ensis
- Solenosteira
- †Solenosteira cancellaria
- †Spatangus
- Sphyrna
- †Sphyrna media – or unidentified comparable form
- †Sphyrna zygaena
- Spisula
- Spondylus
- †Squalodon
Life restoration of the Oligocene-Miocene shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon - Squatina
- Stewartia
- Strioterebrum
- Strombus
- †Strombus pugilis
- Subcancilla
- Sveltella
- Sveltia
- †Syllomus
- Sylvilagus
- Tagelus
- Tapirus
A living Tapirus, or tapir- †Tapirus veroensis
- Tectonatica
- Teinostoma
- Tellina
- Tenagodus
- Terebra
- †Terebra protexta
- †Teredina
- Teredo
- Terrapene
- †Terrapene carolina
- Textularia
- †Thecachampsa
Fossilized skeleton of the Oligocene-Miocene gavial relative Thecachampsa - †Thoracosaurus
- Thracia
- Timoclea
- Trachycardium
- †Trachycardium egmontianum
- †Trachycardium muricatum
- Tremarctos
- †Tremarctos floridanus
- Triakis – tentative report
- Trichechus
A living Trichechus, or manatee - Trigonostoma
- †Trinacria
- Triplofusus
- †Triplofusus giganteus
- Trivia
- Trochita
- Trochus
- †Tuba
- Tucetona
- Turbo – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
- Turbonilla
- †Turbonilla aragoni – or unidentified comparable form
- †Turbonilla interrupta
- Turricula
- Turris
- Turritella
- Tursiops
- †Tursiops truncatus – or unidentified comparable form
A living Tursiops truncatus, or common bottlenose dolphin
- †Tusciziphius
- †Tympanonesiotes – type locality for genus
- †Tympanonesiotes wetmorei – type locality for species
- Typhis
- Urocyon
- †Urocyon cinereoargenteus – or unidentified comparable form
- Urosalpinx
- †Urosalpinx cinerea
- Venericardia
- Vermicularia
- †Vermicularia fargoi
- †Vermicularia spirata
- Verticordia
- Vexillum
- †Vexillum wandoense
- Vitis
Leaves and fruit of a living Vitis, or grapevine - Voluta
- Volutifusus
- Xenophora
- †Xenorophus – type locality for genus
- †Xiphiorhynchus
- †Xylotrypa
- Yoldia
References[]
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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Categories:
- Paleontology in South Carolina
- Lists of prehistoric life in the United States