This list of the prehistoric life of Kansas contains the various prehistoric life-forms whose fossilized remains have been reported from within the US state of Kansas.
Precambrian
[edit]The Paleobiology Database records no known occurrences of Precambrian fossils in Kansas.
Paleozoic
[edit]Selected Paleozoic taxa of Kansas
[edit]
Life restoration of the Early Devonian-Permian "spiny shark" Acanthodes †Acanthodes- †Achistrum
- †Acitheca
- †Acrodus – tentative report
- †Acroplous
- †Actiobates – type locality for genus
- †Actiobates peabodyi – type locality for species
- †Agassizodus
- †Aglaocrinus
- †Alethopteris
- Ammodiscus – tentative report
- †Amphiscapha
- † Ananias – tentative report
- †Annularia
- †Aphlebia
- Archaeolithophyllum
Life restoration of the Carboniferous synapsid (mammal precursor) Archaeovenator †Archaeovenator – type locality for genus
- †Archaeovenator hamiltonensis – type locality for species
- †Archimylacris
- †Aristoceras
- †Artisia
- †Asterotheca
- †Asterotheca miltoni – or unidentified comparable form
- †Aviculopecten
- †Aviculopecten arctisulcatus
- †Aviculopecten mccoyi – type locality for species
- †Aviculopecten nodocosta
- †Aviculopecten occidentalis
- †Aviculopecten peculiaris – type locality for species
- †Aviculopecten sumnerensis – type locality for species
Restoration of the Carboniferous Chimaera relative Belantsea †Belantsea – or unidentified comparable form
- †Bellerophon
- †Bellerophon graphicus – type locality for species
- †Blattoidea
- †Botryococcus
- †Calamites
- †Callipteris
- †Callipteris conferta
- †Callipteris lyratifolia – tentative report
- †Carbonita – tentative report
Life restoration of the Carboniferous Chimaera relative Caseodus †Caseodus
- †Chomatodus
- †Chonetes
- †Cladodus
- Cladophlebis
- †Cleiothyridina
- †Composita
- †Cordaicarpus
- †Cordaites
Fossil of the Carboniferous shark Ctenacanthus †Ctenacanthus
- †Cyathus
- †Cyclopteris
- †Cystodictya
- †Dentalium
- †Diplichnites
- †Ductilodon – type locality for genus
- †Dunbaria – type locality for genus
- †Echinaria
- †Edestus
- †Edestus heinrichi – or unidentified comparable form
- †Edmondia
Life restoration of the Carboniferous synapsid (mammal precursor) Eocasea †Eocasea – type locality for genus
- †Eocasea martini – type locality for species
- †Eoscopus – type locality for genus
- †Eoscopus lockardi – type locality for species
- †Euconcordia – type locality for genus
- †Fenestella
- †Fusulina
- †Geinitzina
- †Gervillia
- †Glenopteris
- †Glikmanius
- †Glyptopleura
- †Gordia
- †Helminthopsis
- †Hybodus
Restoration of the Carboniferous synapsid (mammal precursor) Ianthasaurus †Ianthasaurus – type locality for genus
- †Ianthasaurus hardestiorum – type locality for species
- †Ianthodon – type locality for genus
- †Ianthodon schultzei – type locality for species
- †Isogramma
- †Janassa
- †Kawichthys – type locality for genus
- †Kawichthys moodiei – type locality for species
- †Kennedya – type locality for genus
- †Kirkella
- †Kouphichnium
- †Lepidodendron
- †Lingula
- †Lisca – type locality for genus
- †Lissodus
Restoration of the Carboniferous-Early Triassic cartilaginous fish Listracanthus †Listracanthus
- Lithophaga
- †Lysorophus
- †Meganeuropsis – type locality for genus
- †Meganeuropsis permiana – type locality for species
- †Megatypus – type locality for genus
- †Metacoceras
- †Minilya
- †Misthodotes – type locality for genus
- †Modiolus
- †Naticopsis
- †Neoaganides
- †Neospirifer
- †Neuropteris
- †Neuropteris auriculata – tentative report
- †Neuropteris odontopteroides
- †Neuropteris ovata
- †Neuropteris scheuchzeri
- †Noeggerathia
- †Norwoodia
- Nucula
Life restoration of the Carboniferous-Permian synapsid (mammal precursor) Ophiacodon †Ophiacodon – type locality for genus
- †Ophiacodon hilli – type locality for species
- †Orodus
- †Orthacanthus
- †Palaeoniscus
- †Paleolimulus – type locality for genus
- †Pecopteris
- †Petalodus
- †Petrolacosaurus – type locality for genus
- †Petrolacosaurus kansensis – type locality for species
- †Phillipsia – tentative report
Fossilized shell of the Silurian-Early Triassic sea snail Platyceras †Platyceras- †Platysomus
- Pleurotomaria
- †Samaropsis
- †Sandalodus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Sigillaria
- †Sphenophyllum
- †Sphenophyllum oblongifolium
- †Sphenophyllum stoukenbergi – or unidentified comparable form
- †Sphenophyllum thonii – or unidentified comparable form
- †Sphenopteris
Restoration of the Carboniferous reptile Spinoaequalis †Spinoaequalis – type locality for genus- †Spirifer
- †Spirifer rockymontanus – tentative report
- Spirorbis
- †Stemmatodus
- †Streptognathodus
- †Syringopora
- †Tetrataxis
- †Therates – type locality for genus
- †Treptichnus
- †Undichna
- †Urba – type locality for genus
Fossilized foliage of the Carboniferous-Permian conifer Walchia †Walchia- †Wilkingia
- †Worthenia
- †Xyrospondylus
- Yoldia
Mesozoic
[edit]Selected Mesozoic taxa of Kansas
[edit]Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Acanthoscaphites †Acanthoscaphites – tentative report
- †Alzadasaurus – type locality for genus
- †Ampullina
- †Anomia
- †Apateodus
- †Apatornis
- †Apatornis celer – type locality for species
- †Apsopelix
- Aralia
- Arundo
- †Asplenium
- †Aviculopecten
Fossilized shell of the Late Cretaceous ammonoid cephalopod Baculites †Baculites
- †Baculites clinolobatus
- †Baculites compressus
- †Baculites grandis
- †Baculites ovatus
- †Baculites pseudovatus – type locality for species
- †Bananogmius
- †Baptornis – type locality for genus
- †Baptornis advenus – type locality for species
- Botula
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Brachauchenius hunting a hesperornithiform bird †Brachauchenius – type locality for genus
- †Brachauchenius lucasi – type locality for species
- Brachidontes
- Cadulus
- †Calycoceras
- Carcharias
- Cardita
- †Cassiope
- †Ceratophyllum
- Chiloscyllium
- †Chondrites
- †Cimolichthys
- Cladophlebis
- †Claosaurus
- †Claosaurus agilis – type locality for species
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaurid Clidastes †Clidastes
- Cliona
- †Collignoniceras
- †Coniasaurus
- Corbula
- Crassostrea
- †Cretolamna
Restoration of the Late Cretaceous shark Cretoxyrhina, or the Ginsu shark †Cretoxyrhina
- Ctenochelys
- Cucullaea
- †Cycadeoidea
- †Dakotasuchus – type locality for genus
- †Dakotasuchus kingi – type locality for species
- †Dawndraco – type locality for genus
- †Dawndraco kanzai – type locality for species
- †Desmatochelys
- †Discoscaphites
- †Dolichorhynchops – type locality for genus
- †Dolichorhynchops osborni – type locality for species
- †Durania
- †Ectenosaurus
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Elasmosaurus with an anachronistic human to scale †Elasmosaurus – type locality for genus
- †Elasmosaurus nobilis – type locality for species
- †Elasmosaurus platyurus – type locality for species
- †Elasmosaurus sternbergi – type locality for species
- †Enchodus
- †Euspira
- †Fagus
- †Gegania
- †Gervillia
Restoration of the Late Cretaceous bony fish Gillicus †Gillicus
- Gleichenia
- †Globidens
- †Gryphaea
- †Halisaurus
- †Halisaurus sternbergi – type locality for species
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous toothed bird Hesperornis †Hesperornis – type locality for genus
- †Hesperornis crassipes – type locality for species
- †Hesperornis gracilis – type locality for species
- †Hesperornis regalis – type locality for species
- †Heteroceras
- †Hierosaurus – type locality for genus
- †Hoploscaphites
- †Iaceornis
- †Iaceornis marshi – type locality for species
- †Ichthyornis – type locality for genus
- †Ichthyornis dispar – type locality for species
Fossilized shell of the Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous marine bivalve Inoceramus with a human indicating its size †Inoceramus
- †Inoceramus cuvieri
- †Inoceramus ginterensis
- †Inoceramus tenuistriatus – tentative report
- †Ischyrhiza
- †Jeletzkytes
- †Leiosphaeridia
- †Leptostyrax
- †Linearis
- †Lingula
- Linuparus
- Lopha
- †Magnoavipes
- Marsilea
- †Mathilda
Fossilized skull of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Megacephalosaurus †Megacephalosaurus – type locality for genus
- †Megacephalosaurus eulerti – type locality for species
- Membranipora
- †Modiolus
- †Niobrarasaurus
- †Niobrarasaurus coleii – type locality for species
- †Niobrarateuthis
- †Niobrarateuthis bonneri – type locality for species
- †Niobrarateuthis walkeri – type locality for species
- Nucula
Restoration of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Nyctosaurus †Nyctosaurus
- †Nyctosaurus bonneri – type locality for species
- †Nyctosaurus gracilis – type locality for species
- †Nyctosaurus nanus – type locality for species
- †Ogmodirus – type locality for genus
- Ostrea
- †Pachyrhizodus
- †Pachyrhizodus caninus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Pachyrhizodus minimus
- †Parahesperornis – type locality for genus
- †Parahesperornis alexi – type locality for species
- †Pecten
- Pholadomya
- Pinus
- †Placenticeras
- Platanus
Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Platecarpus †Platecarpus
- †Platecarpus planifrons – type locality for species
- †Platecarpus tympaniticus
- †Platyceramus
- †Platypterygius – or unidentified comparable form
- †Plesiochelys
- †Plesiosaurus
- Plicatula
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous polycotylid plesiosaur Polycotylus giving birth †Polycotylus – type locality for genus
- †Polycotylus latipinnis – type locality for species
- †Prisca – tentative report
- †Protocardia
- †Protosphyraena
- †Protostega
- †Pseudoperna
Life restoration of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Pteranodon †Pteranodon – type locality for genus
- †Pteranodon comptus – type locality for species
- †Pteranodon longiceps – type locality for species
- †Pteranodon sternbergi – type locality for species
- †Pteria
- †Pterotrigonia
- †Ptychodus
- †Ptychodus anonymus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Ptychodus decurrens
- †Ptychodus mortoni
- †Ptychodus occidentalis
- †Ptychodus whipplei
- †Ptychotrygon
- Quercus
- †Repichnia
- Rhinobatos
- †Rhizocorallium
- Sassafras
Restoration of several of the Early Cretaceous-Miocene shark Scapanorhynchus †Scapanorhynchus
- †Scaphites
- †Scolicia
- Scyliorhinus
- †Selmasaurus
- †Selmasaurus johnsoni – type locality for species
- †Sequoia
- Serpula
- †Silvisaurus – type locality for genus
- †Silvisaurus condrayi – type locality for species
- Squalicorax
- †Squalicorax curvatus
- †Squalicorax falcatus
- †Squalicorax kaupi
- †Squalicorax pristodontus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Squalicorax volgensis
- Sterculia
Animated life restoration of the Late Cretaceous plesiosaur Styxosaurus †Styxosaurus – type locality for genus
- †Styxosaurus snowii – type locality for species
- Tellina
- †Terminonaris
- †Toxochelys
- Trachycardium
- †Tragodesmoceras
- †Trinacromerum – type locality for genus
- †Trinacromerum bentonianum – type locality for species
- Turritella
Restoration of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Tylosaurus †Tylosaurus
- †Tylosaurus dyspelor
- †Tylosaurus kansasensis – type locality for species
- †Tylosaurus proriger
- †Uintacrinus
- †Urenchelys
Fish in a fish specimen †Xiphactinus
- Yoldia
Cenozoic
[edit]Selected Cenozoic taxa of Kansas
[edit]- Acris
- †Adelphailurus
Fossilized skull of the Miocene bone-crushing dog Aelurodon †Aelurodon
- Agkistrodon
- †Agriocharis
- †Agriotherium
- †Alforjas
- †Allogona
- †Ambystoma
Life restoration of the Miocene elephant relative Amebelodon. Margret Flinsch (1932). †Amebelodon- Amia
- †Amphimachairodus
- Anas
- †Aphelops
- Aplodinotus
- †Aplodinotus grunniens – or unidentified comparable form
- †Arctodus
- †Arctodus pristinus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Arctodus simus
- †Astrohippus
- Baiomys
- †Barbourofelis
- Bassariscus
- Bison
- †Bison antiquus – type locality for species
- †Bison bison
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pleistocene Bison latifrons, also known as the giant bison or long-horned bison †Bison latifrons
- Blarina
- †Borophagus
- †Borophagus diversidens
- †Borophagus hilli
- †Borophagus pugnator
- †Borophagus secundus – type locality for species
- Botaurus
- Bufo
- †Calippus
Life restoration of the Pliocene-Holocene camel Camelops †Camelops- Candona
- Canis
- †Capromeryx
- †Carpocyon
- Carychium
- Castor
- †Castoroides
- †Castoroides ohioensis – or unidentified comparable form
- †Catostomus
- Celtis
Life restoration of the Miocene-Pleistocene horned gopher Ceratogaulus. Robert Bruce Horsfall (1913). †Ceratogaulus
- †Cervalces
- Cervus
- Chaetodipus
- Chara
- †Chasmaporthetes
- Chelydra
A living Chelydra serpentina, or common snapping turtle †Chelydra serpentina
- Chrysemys
- †Cionella
- Clethrionomys
- Cnemidophorus
- Coluber
Fossilized skull of the Miocene pronghorn Cosoryx †Cosoryx
- Crotalus
- †Cryptantha
- Cryptotis
- Cynomys
- †Cynomys gunnisoni – or unidentified comparable form
- †Cynomys ludovicianus
- Deroceras
- Diadophis
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pliocene horse Dinohippus †Dinohippus
- Dipodomys
- †Dipodomys ordii – or unidentified comparable form
- †Dipoides
- Discus
- Egretta
- Elaphe – type locality for genus
- Emydoidea
- †Epicyon
- Equus
- †Equus conversidens
- †Equus francisci
- †Equus giganteus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Equus niobrarensis
- †Equus scotti
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene horse Equus simplicidens, also known as the Hagerman horse or American zebra †Equus simplicidens
- †Eucastor
- †Euconulus
- †Eucyon
- Eumeces
- Felis
- Ferrissia
- †Fundulus
- Gastrocopta
- Geochelone
- Geomys
- Gerrhonotus
- †Gigantocamelus
- †Gnathabelodon
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pleistocene elephant relative Gomphotherium †Gomphotherium- Gopherus
- Graptemys
- Grus
- Gyraulus
- Hawaiia
- Helicodiscus
- Helisoma
Fossilized lower jaw of the Miocene-Pleistocene llama relative Hemiauchenia †Hemiauchenia
- †Hesperotestudo
- Heterodon
- †Hipparion
- †Hippotherium
- Holbrookia
Life restoration of the Pleistocene armadillo relative Holmesina with a human to scale †Holmesina- Homo
- †Homotherium
- Hyla
- †Hyla cinerea – or unidentified comparable form
- †Hyla gratiosa – or unidentified comparable form
- †Hyla squirella – or unidentified comparable form
- †Hyla versicolor
Life restoration of the Miocene horse Hypohippus. Heinrich Harder (1920). †Hypohippus- †Hypolagus
- Ictalurus
- †Ictiobus
- †Ischyrocyon – tentative report
- Kinosternon
A living Lampropeltis getula, or eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis
- Lasiurus
- Lepisosteus
- †Lepisosteus osseus
- †Lepisosteus platostomus – tentative report
- Lepomis
- †Lepomis cyanellus
- †Lepomis humilis – or unidentified comparable form
Illustration of a fossilized skull of the Oligocene-Miocene dog Leptocyon †Leptocyon- Lepus
- †Lepus californicus – or unidentified comparable form
- †Longirostromeryx
- Lontra
- Lymnaea
- Lynx
- †Machairodus
- Macrochelys
- †Mammut
- †Mammuthus
Life restoration of a herd of Mammuthus columbi, or Columbian mammoths. The extent of the fur depicted is hypothetical. Charles R. Knight (1909). †Mammuthus columbi
- Martes
- †Megalonyx
- †Megantereon
- †Megatylopus
- †Menetus
- Mephitis
- †Mephitis mephitis – tentative report
- †Merychyus
- Micropterus
- †Micropterus punctulatus – or unidentified comparable form
- Microtus
- †Minytrema – tentative report
- Musculium
- Mustela
- †Mustela richardsonii – or unidentified comparable form
- †Mylagaulus
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Holocene peccary Mylohyus †Mylohyus
- Myotis
- †Nannippus
- †Nassella
- Neofiber
- Neogale
- †Neogale frenata – or unidentified comparable form
- †Neogale vison
- †Neohipparion
- Neotoma
- †Neotoma floridana – or unidentified comparable form
- †Neotoma micropus
- Nerodia
- Nesovitrea
- †Nimravides
Life restoration of the Pleistocene ground sloth Nothrotheriops †Nothrotheriops- Notiosorex
- †Notropis – tentative report
- Odocoileus
- Ondatra
- Onychomys
- †Onychomys leucogaster – or unidentified comparable form
- Ophisaurus
- Ortalis
- Oryzomys
- †Panicum
- Panthera
Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene ground sloth Paramylodon †Paramylodon
- †Pediomeryx
- †Peraceras
- Perca
- Perognathus
- Peromyscus
- Phenacomys
- †Phenacomys intermedius – or unidentified comparable form
- Phrynosoma
- Physa
- Pisidium
- Pituophis
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene elephant relative Platybelodon †Platybelodon- †Platygonus
- †Platygonus compressus – or unidentified comparable form
- Plegadis – or unidentified comparable form
- †Pleiolama
- †Plesiogulo
- †Pliohippus
- †Pomoxis
- †Potamocypris
- †Pratifelis
- †Pratifelis martini – type locality for species
- †Procamelus
- †Procastoroides
- Procyon
Fossilized skeleton of the Miocene horse Protohippus †Protohippus- †Protolabis
- Pseudacris
- Pseudemys
- †Pseudhipparion
- Puma
- Pupilla
- Pupoides
Life restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene pronghorn Ramoceros and Cosoryx. Robert Bruce Horsfall (1913). †Ramoceros- †Rana
- †Rana areolata – or unidentified comparable form
- †Rana catesbeiana
- †Rana pipiens
- †Rana areolata – or unidentified comparable form
- †Regina
- Reithrodontomys
- †Reithrodontomys humulis
- †Reithrodontomys megalotis
- †Reithrodontomys montanus – or unidentified comparable form
- Rhinocheilus – tentative report
Restoration of the Miocene-Pliocene elephant relative Rhynchotherium †Rhynchotherium- †Satherium
- Scalopus
- Scaphiopus
- Sceloporus
- †Semotilus
- †Semotilus atromaculatus – or unidentified comparable form
- Sigmodon
- Sistrurus
Life restoration of the Pleistocene-Holocene saber-tooth cat Smilodon †Smilodon- †Soergelia
- †Soergelia mayfieldi – or unidentified comparable form
- Sorex
- Spea
- Spermophilus
- †Spermophilus franklinii – or unidentified comparable form
- †Spermophilus richardsonii
- †Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
- Sphaerium
- Spilogale
- Stagnicola
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene elephant relative Stegomastodon †Stegomastodon
- †Stenotrema
- Sternotherus
- Storeria
- †Storeria dekayi – or unidentified comparable form
- Succinea
- Sylvilagus
- Synaptomys
- Tapirus
- Taxidea
Mounted fossilized skeleton of the Miocene-Pliocene rhinoceros Teleoceras †Teleoceras- Terrapene
- Thamnophis
- †Thamnophis proximus
- †Thamnophis radix
- †Thamnophis saurita – or unidentified comparable form
- †Thamnophis sirtalis
- Thomomys
- Trachemys
A living Trachemys scripta, or pond slider †Trachemys scripta
- †Trigonictis
- Trionyx
- Tropidoclonion
- Tympanuchus – or unidentified comparable form
- Urocyon
- †Ustatochoerus
- Vallonia
- Valvata
- Vertigo
- Vulpes
A living Vulpes velox, or swift fox †Vulpes velox
- Zapus
- Zonitoides
References
[edit]- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved December 17, 2021.