List of the prehistoric life of North Dakota

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

Precambrian

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

Paleozoic

• † Acrotreta
  • † Acrotreta attica – or unidentified comparable form
• † Amphipora
• † Apatokephalus
• † Apheoorthis
  • † Apheoorthis ocha
• † Arthroclema
  • † Arthroclema brevis
  • † Arthroclema pentagonalis
• † Arthrotrypa
  • † Arthrotrypa ovata
• † Aulacoparia
• † Benthamaspis
• † Bucanella
  • † Bucanella nana – or unidentified related form
• † Ceratopea
  • † Ceratopea sinclairensis
• † Drepanodus
• † Euconia
  • † Euconia conicus – or unidentified comparable form
• † Finkelnburgia
• † Hystricurus
  • † Hystricurus crassilimbatus
• † Kainella
• † Lecanospira
• † Licnocephala
• 

  Illustration of a fossilized shell of the Cambrian-Late Ordovician brachiopod Lingulella
  † Lingulella
  • † Lingulella ibicus – or unidentified comparable form
• † Lloydia
  • † Lloydia formosa
• † Macluritella – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • † Macluritella ornata – type locality for species
• † Nanorthis
  • † Nanorthis putilla
• † Nematoporella
  • † Nematoporella falcata
  • † Nematoporella ulrichi
• † Psalikilus
• † Raphistomina
• † Reubenella
• † Sceptropora
  • † Sceptropora facula
  • † Sceptropora florida
• † Schizambon
  • † Schizambon discoidea
• † Strigigenalis
• † Syntrophina
  • † Syntrophina nana
• † Thamnopora
• † Tropidodiscus
• † Ulrichostylus
  • † Ulrichostylus costatus
  • † Ulrichostylus dakotensis

Mesozoic

• Acipenser
• † Adocus
• † Aletridelphys
  • † Aletridelphys florencae
• 

  Restorative model of the Late Cretaceous mammal Alphadon
  † Alphadon
  • † Alphadon marshi
• † Altacreodus
  • † Altacreodus magnus
• † Amersinia
  • † Amersinia FU082 – informal
  • † Amersinia FU82 – informal
• † Amesoneuron
  • † Amesoneuron FU037 – informal
  • † Amesoneuron FU37 – informal
• † Ampelopsis
  • † Ampelopsis acerifolia
• † Anomia
  • † Anomia gryphorhyncha
• † Anzu
  • † Anzu wyliei
• † Araliaephyllum
  • † Araliaephyllum polevoi
• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous sea turtle Archelon
  † Archelon
• † Artocarpus
  • † Artocarpus lessigiana
• † Asimina
  • † Asimina knowltonia
• Aspideretes
• Atractosteus
• † Avisaurus – or unidentified comparable form
  • † Avisaurus archibaldi
• † Axestemys
  • † Axestemys splendida
• Azolla
  • † Azolla gigantea – type locality for species
• † Basilemys
  • † Basilemys sinuosa
• † Belonostomus
  • † Belonostomus longirostris
• † Bisonia
  • † Bisonia niemii
• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous crocodilian Borealosuchus
  † Borealosuchus
  • † Borealosuchus sternbergii
• † Boremys
• † Brachychampsa
  • † Brachychampsa montana
• Campeloma
  • † Campeloma acroterion
• Carcharias
• † Carpites
  • † Carpites ulmiformis
  • † Carpites verrucosus
• † Cedrobaena
  • † Cedrobaena brinkman
  • † Cedrobaena putorius
• † Celastrus
  • † Celastrus taurenensis
• † Ceratophyllum
  • † Ceratophyllum FU080 – informal
• † Cercidiphyllales
  • † Cercidiphyllales HC355 – informal
• Cercidiphyllum
  • † Cercidiphyllum ellipticum
  • † Cercidiphyllum genetrix
  • † Cercidiphyllum HC124 – informal
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous-Eocene choristoderan reptile Champsosaurus
  † Champsosaurus
  • † Champsosaurus laramiensis
• † Cimolodon
  • † Cimolodon nitidus
• Cinnamomum
  • † Cinnamomum lineafolia
• † Cissites
  • † Cissites acerifolia
  • † Cissites insignis
  • † Cissites lobata
  • † Cissites puilosokensis
• † Clisocolus
  • † Clisocolus moreauensis
• † Cocculus
  • † Cocculus flabella
• † Compsemys – type locality for genus
  • † Compsemys victa – type locality for species
• † Corbulamella
  • † Corbulamella inornata
• † Coriops
  • † Coriops amnicolus – or unidentified comparable form
• † Cornophyllum
  • † Cornophyllum newberryi
• Cornus – or unidentified related form
• † Crassatellina
  • † Crassatellina hollandi
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Cretaceous-modern oyster Crassostrea
  Crassostrea
• † Crenella
  • † Crenella elegantula
• Cucullaea
  • † Cucullaea nebrascensis
• † Cupressinocladus
  • † Cupressinocladus interruptus
• † Cuspidaria
  • † Cuspidaria ventricosa
• † Cyclurus
  • † Cyclurus fragosus
• † Cymbophora
  • † Cymbophora warrenana
• † Cypercites – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• † Dalbergites – or unidentified related form
  • † Dalbergites simplex
• † Dammarites
  • † Dammarites HC257 – informal
• Dicotylophyllum
  • † Dicotylophyllum anomalum
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous marsupial relative Didelphodon
  † Didelphodon
  • † Didelphodon vorax
• † Dosiniopsis
  • † Dosiniopsis deweyi
• † Dryophyllum
  • † Dryophyllum subfalcatum
  • † Dryophyllum tenneseensis
  • † Dryophyllum tennesseensis
  • † Dryophyllum tennessensis
• † Edmontosaurus
  • 

    Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens
    † Edmontosaurus annectens
• † Elasmodus
• † Elatides
  • † Elatides longifolia
• † Emarginachelys
  • † Emarginachelys cretacea
• † Enchodus
• † Equisetum
  • † Equisetum FU036 – informal
  • † Equisetum FU36 – informal
• † Erlingdorfia
  • † Erlingdorfia montana
• † Essonodon
  • † Essonodon browni
• † Ethmocardium
  • † Ethmocardium whitei
• Ficus
  • † Ficus planicostata
• † Fokieniopsis
  • † Fokieniopsis catenulata
• † Gamerabaena – type locality for genus
  • † Gamerabaena sonsalla – type locality for species
• † Gilmoremys
  • † Gilmoremys lancensis
• 

  Fossilized leaf of the Permian-modern tree Ginkgo
  Ginkgo
  • † Ginkgo adiantoides
• † Glasbius
  • † Glasbius twitchelli
• Glyptostrobus
  • † Glyptostrobus europaeus
  • † Glyptostrobus HC9 – informal
• † Goniomya
  • † Goniomya americana
• † Grammatodon
  • † Grammatodon sulcatinus
• † Grewiopsis
  • † Grewiopsis saportana
• † Gypsonictops
  • † Gypsonictops illuminatus
• † Gyrostrea
  • † Gyrostrea subtrigonalis
• † Habrosaurus
  • † Habrosaurus dilatus
• † Harmsia
  • † Harmsia hydrocotyloidea
• † Helopanoplia
  • † Helopanoplia distincta
• † Hoplochelys
  • † Hoplochelys clark – type locality for species
• 

  Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Hoploscaphites
  † Hoploscaphites
  • † Hoploscaphites nicolletii
• † Hummelichelys
  • † Hummelichelys foveatus
• † Humulus
  • † Humulus HC243 – informal
• † Hydropteris
  • † Hydropteris pinnata
• † Hypoxytoma
  • † Hypoxytoma nebrascana
• † Inoceramus – tentative report
• † Ischyodus
  • † Ischyodus rayhaasi – type locality for species
• † Ischyrhiza
  • † Ischyrhiza avonicola
• † Judithemys
  • † Judithemys backmani
• Juglans – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • † Juglans arctica
• 

  A modern Lamna mackerel shark
  Lamna
  • † Lamna mediavia
• † Laurophyllum
  • † Laurophyllum lanceolatum
  • † Laurophyllum wardiana
• † Leepierceia
  • † Leepierceia preartocarpoides
• † Lemnaceae
  • † Lemnaceae scutatum
• Lepisosteus
  • † Lepisosteus occidentalis
• Limopsis
  • † Limopsis striatopunctatus
• † Lioplacodes
• † Liriodendrites
  • † Liriodendrites bradacii
• 

  Foliage and flower of a living Liriodendron tulipifera, or American Tulip-tree
  † Liriodendron – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • † Liriodendron laramiense
• † Lisserpeton
  • † Lisserpeton bairdi – or unidentified comparable form
• † Lonchidion
  • † Lonchidion selachos
• † Macclintockia – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
  • † Macclintockia electilis
• Malletia
  • † Malletia evansi
• Marchantia
  • † Marchantia pealii
• † Marmarthia
  • † Marmarthia johnsonii
  • † Marmarthia pearsonii
  • † Marmarthia trivalis
  • † Marmarthia trivialis
• † Melvius
  • † Melvius thomasi
• 

  Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous multituberculate mammal Meniscoessus
  † Meniscoessus
  • † Meniscoessus robustus
• † Mesocyparis
  • † Mesocyparis borealis
• † Mesodma
  • † Mesodma thompsoni
• Metasequoia
  • † Metasequoia HC035 – informal
  • † Metasequoia HC35 – informal
  • † Metasequoia occidentalis
• † Modiolus
  • † Modiolus galpinianus
• † Myledaphus
  • † Myledaphus bipartitus
• Myliobatis
• Myrica
  • † Myrica torreyi
• 

  A living Nelumbo lotus
  † Nelumbo
  • † Nelumbo FU062 – informal
  • † Nelumbo FU085 – informal
  • † Nelumbo FU62 – informal
  • † Nelumbo HC202 – informal
• † Neurankylus
• † Nilsonia
  • † Nilsonia yukonensis
• † Nilssoniocladus
  • † Nilssoniocladus comtula
  • † Nilssoniocladus yukonensis
• † Nordenskioldia
  • † Nordenskioldia borealis
• 

  Interior of a fossilized shell of the Early Ordovician-modern marine bivalve Nucula
  Nucula
  • † Nucula obsoletastriata
  • † Nucula planomarginata
• Nuculana
  • † Nuculana scitula
  • † Nuculana tarensis
• † Nyssidium
  • † Nyssidium arcticum
• Odontaspis
  • † Odontaspis macrota
• † Ophiomorpha
• † Opisthotriton
  • † Opisthotriton kayi
• † Osmunda
  • † Osmunda hollicki
• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous dome-headed dinosaur Pachycephalosaurus
  † Pachycephalosaurus
  • † Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis
• † Palaeosaniwa
  • † Palaeosaniwa canadensis
• † Palatobaena
  • † Palatobaena cohen – type locality for species
• † Paleoaster
  • † Paleoaster inquirenda
• † Paloreodoxites
  • † Paloreodoxites plicatus
• Panopea
  • † Panopea occidentalis
• † Paranymphaea
  • † Paranymphaea crassifolia
  • † Paranymphaea hastata
• 

  Electron micrograph of the fossilized teeth in multiple views of the Late Cretaceous theropod dinosaur Paronychodon
  † Paronychodon
  • † Paronychodon lacustris
• Periploma
  • † Periploma subgracile
• † Phelopteria
  • † Phelopteria linguaeformis
• † Philodendron
  • † Philodendron HC201 – informal
• Physa
• † Piceoerpeton
• † Pistia
  • † Pistia corrugata
• † Platanites
  • † Platanites marginata
• Platanus
  • † Platanus raynoldsii
• 

  Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Platecarpus
  † Platecarpus
• † Plesiobaena
  • † Plesiobaena antiqua
  • † Plesiobaena antiquus
• † Plioplatecarpus
• Populus
  • † Populus nebrascensis
• † Protocardia
  • † Protocardia subquadrata
• † Protochelydra
• † Pseudoptera
  • † Pseudoptera subtortuosa
• † Pterospermites
  • † Pterospermites cordata
• † Quereuxia
  • † Quereuxia angulata
• † Rhamnus
  • † Rhamnus cleburni
  • † Rhamnus salicifolius
• † Richardoestesia
  • † Richardoestesia isosceles
• † Salvinia
  • † Salvinia HC312 – informal
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous dromaeosaurid Saurornitholestes preying upon a multituberculate mammal
  † Saurornitholestes
• † Scapanorhynchus – tentative report
• † Scapherpeton
  • † Scapherpeton tectum
• † Scaphites
  • † Scaphites corvensis
  • † Scaphites mariasensis
• † Sequoia
  • † Sequoia HC070 – informal
  • † Sequoia HC70 – informal
  • † Sequoia obovata – or unidentified comparable form
• † Sourimis
  • † Sourimis equilateralis
• 

  Shells in differing orientations of Sphaerium freshwater clams
  Sphaerium
• † Squatirhina
  • † Squatirhina americana
• † Syncyclonema
  • † Syncyclonema halli
• † Tancredia
  • † Tancredia americana
• Taxodium
  • † Taxodium HC071 – informal
  • † Taxodium olrikii
• † Tellinimera
  • † Tellinimera scitula
• 

  Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaur Thescelosaurus
  † Thescelosaurus
  • † Thescelosaurus neglectus
• † Thoracosaurus
  • † Thoracosaurus neocesariensis
• † Torosaurus
  • † Torosaurus latus
• † Trachodon
• † Triceratops
  • † Triceratops horridus
  • † Triceratops prorsus
• † Trochodendroides
  • † Trochodendroides nebrascensis
• † Troodon
• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous tyrannosaur Tyrannosaurus
  † Tyrannosaurus
  • † Tyrannosaurus rex
• † Vetericardiella
  • † Vetericardiella crenalirata
• Vitis
  • † Vitis stantonii
• † Zingiberopsis
  • † Zingiberopsis attenuata
  • † Zingiberopsis magnifolia
• Ziziphus
  • † Ziziphus fibrillosus

Cenozoic

Main article: List of the Cenozoic life of North Dakota

Selected Cenozoic taxa of North Dakota

• Acer
• †Aesculus
• †Agnotocastor
• †Aletodon
• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Late Cretaceous-Oligocene Alligator relative Allognathosuchus
  †Allognathosuchus – type locality for genus
• Amia
• †Ampelopsis
• †Archaeocyon
• †Archaeotherium
• †Arctocyon
• Azolla
• †Batrachosauroides
• Betula
• †Bisonalveus
• †Borealosuchus
  • †Borealosuchus formidabilis – type locality for species
• †Bothriodon
• 

  Restorative portrait of the Miocene oreodont mammal Brachycrus
  †Brachycrus
• †Cabomba
• †Cantius
  • †Cantius frugivorus
• Carya
• Celtis
• †Ceratophyllum
• Cercidiphyllum
• †Champsosaurus
• Cocculus
• †Coniophis
• Cornus
• 

  A living Corylus, or hazel
  †Corylus
• †Coryphodon
• †Credneria
• Cyclocarya
• †Daphoenus
• †Davidia
• †Dennstaedtia
• †Diacodexis – tentative report
• †Diceratherium
• †dicot
• †Didymictis
• 

  Life restoration of the Eocene-Miocene false saber-toothed cat Dinictis. Robert Bruce Horsfall (1913).
  †Dinictis
• †Dissacus
• †Dombeya
• †Domnina
• †Echmatemys
• †Ectocion
• †Elliptio
• †Elomeryx
• †Equisetum
• †Error
• †Eucommia
• Ficus
• †Fraxinus
• Ginkgo
  • 

    Restored foliage of the Late Cretaceous-Miocene ginkgo tree Ginkgo adiantoides
    †Ginkgo adiantoides
• Glyptostrobus
  • †Glyptostrobus europaeus
• †Helodermoides
• Hemitelia
• †Herpetotherium
  • †Herpetotherium fugax – or unidentified comparable form
• †Hesperocyon
• †Homogalax
• †Hydromystria
• †Hyopsodus
• †Hypertragulus
• †Hyracodon
• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Eocene-Oligocene rodent Ischyromys
  †Ischyromys
• †Joffrichthys
• Juglans
• †Kalmia – report made of unidentified related form or using admittedly obsolete nomenclature
• †Lemnaceae
• Lepisosteus
• †Leptauchenia
• †Leptictis
• †Leptomeryx
• Lygodium
• Marchantia
• 

  Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Megalonyx
  †Megalonyx
  • †Megalonyx jeffersonii
• †Meliosma
• †Merychyus
• †Merycochoerus
• †Merycoidodon
• †Mesodma
  • †Mesodma pygmaea
• †Mesohippus
• †Metamynodon
• Metasequoia
  • †Metasequoia occidentalis
• †Miacis
• †Microcosmodon
• †Microsyops
• †Mimetodon
• †Miniochoerus
• †Miohippus
• †Nanotragulus
• 

  A living Nelumbo lotus
  †Nelumbo
  • †Nelumbo aureavallis – type locality for species
• †Neoplagiaulax
  • †Neoplagiaulax hunteri
  • †Neoplagiaulax mckennai
• †Nephrops
• †Nototeredo
• †Nyssa
• †Onoclea
• †Ophiomorpha
• †Oreithyia
• †Osbornodon
• †Osmunda
• †Oxyacodon
• †Palaeolagus
• †Palaeoryctes
• †Palaeosinopa
• †Paramys
• †Parectypodus
  • †Parectypodus lunatus
• 

  Fossilized skull of the Eocene-Oligocene lizard Peltosaurus
  †Peltosaurus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Phenacodus
• †Piceoerpeton
• Pinus
  • †Pinus peregrinus – type locality for species
• Platanus
• Platycarya
• †Plesiadapis
• †Poebrotherium
• Populus
• †Prochetodon
  • †Prochetodon foxi
• 

  Life restoration of a female (left) and male of the Oligocene-Miocene even-toed ungulate Protoceras. Charles R. Knight (1896).
  †Protoceras – tentative report
• †Protochelydra
  • †Protochelydra zangerli
• †Protungulatum
• †Psidium – tentative report
• Pterocarya
• †Ptilodus
  • †Ptilodus kummae
  • †Ptilodus montanus
  • †Ptilodus wyomingensis
• Quercus
• Rhineura – or unidentified comparable form
• Sagittaria
• †Salvinia
• †Saniwa
  • †Saniwa ensidens – or unidentified comparable form
• †Scapherpeton
• †Selaginella
• †Simoedosaurus
• †Sparganium
• †Spathorhynchus – or unidentified comparable form
• †Stillingia
• †Subhyracodon
• Taxodium
• †Teilhardina
• Thamnophis
• †Thuja
• 

  Life restoration of the Paleocene pantodont mammal Titanoides
  †Titanoides
  • †Titanoides primaevus – type locality for species
• †Trapa
• †Trigonias
• †Viburnum
• †Wannaganosuchus – type locality for genus
  • †Wannaganosuchus brachymanus – type locality for species
• †Woodwardia

References

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 7 August 2017.