List of the Cenozoic life of Alaska

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

A

• 

  Shell of an Acanthocardia cockle

  Acanthocardia
  • †Acanthocardia brewerii
• Acila
  • †Acila brevis – or unidentified related form
  • †Acila castrensis
  • †Acila ermani
  • †Acila gettysburgensis
  • †Acila praedivaricata – or unidentified related form
  • †Acila shumardi
  • †Acila taliaferroi
• Acirsa
  • †Acirsa borealis
• Acmaea
  • †Acmaea sybaritica
• Acrotrichis – tentative report
• †Ademete
• Agonum
• †Ainus
• Alaocybites
  • †Alaocybites egorovi – tentative report

• 

  A living Alces, or moose

  Alces
• Alnus
  • †Alnus carpinoides
• Alopex
  • †Alopex lagopus
• Alvania
  • †Alvania aurivillii
• Amara
• Amauropsis
  • †Amauropsis fetteri – type locality for species
• Anabathron
  • †Anabathron muriel
• Ancistrolepis
  • †Ancistrolepis beringianus
  • †Ancistrolepis eucosmius
• †Anechinocardium
  • †Anechinocardium lorenzanum – or unidentified related form
• Angulus
  • †Angulus lutea
• †Anomalosipho – tentative report
• Anomia – tentative report
• †Aperiploma
  • †Aperiploma bainbridgensis
• Aphaenogaster
• Arca
• Arctica
  • †Arctica carteriana
  • †Arctica ovata
• †Arcticlam – type locality for genus
  • †Arcticlam nanseni – type locality for species
• †Arctodus
  • †Arctodus simus
• Argobuccinum
  • †Argobuccinum oregonensis

• 

  Life restoration of the Oligocene river dolphin Arktocara

  †Arktocara – type locality for genus
  • †Arktocara yakataga – type locality for species
• Arrhenopeplus
  • †Arrhenopeplus tesserula
• Asaphidion
  • †Asaphidion yukonense – or unidentified comparable form
• Asinus
  • †Asinus kiang – or unidentified comparable form
• Astarte
  • †Astarte arctica
  • †Astarte bennetti
  • †Astarte borealis
  • †Astarte compacta
  • †Astarte crenata – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Astarte hemicymata
  • †Astarte laurentiana – or unidentified related form
  • †Astarte martini
  • †Astarte nortonensis
  • †Astarte vernicosa
• Astrangia
  • †Astrangia boreas – type locality for species

• 

  Fossilized shell of the Paleocene-Miocene nautiloid cephalopod Aturia

  †Aturia
  • †Aturia alaskensis – type locality for species
  • †Aturia angustata
• Axinopsida
  • †Axinopsida orbiculata – or unidentified comparable form

B

• Balanus
  • †Balanus balanoides
  • †Balanus balanus

  • 

    Shell (left, internal view) and calcified basis (right) of a modern Balanus crenatus acorn barnacle

    †Balanus crenatus
  • †Balanus evermanni
  • †Balanus nubilus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Balanus rostratus
• Bembidion
• Beringius
  • †Beringius crebricostatus
  • †Beringius hertleini
• Betula
• Bibio
• Bison

  • 

    Mummified specimen found in Alaska of the Pleistocene-Holocene Bison priscus, or steppe bison. This specimen, known as "Blue Babe" after the blue ox of Paul Bunyan folklore, derives its unusual coloration from a chemical reaction between the phosphorus in its skin and iron in the surrounding soil to produce a coating of vivianite.

    †Bison priscus
• Bolivina
  • †Bolivina decussata
  • †Bolivina pseudopicata – or unidentified comparable form
• †Bootherium
  • †Bootherium bombifrons
• Boreotrophon
  • †Boreotrophon beringi
  • †Boreotrophon rotundatus – or unidentified comparable form
• Brachidontes
  • †Brachidontes matchgaransis – or unidentified comparable form
• Brachypimpla – tentative report

• 

  Fossil of the Eocene crab Branchioplax

  †Branchioplax
  • †Branchioplax washingtoniana
• †Bruclarkia
  • †Bruclarkia andersoni – or unidentified comparable form
• Buccella
  • †Buccella frigida
• Buccinum
  • †Buccinum angulosum
  • †Buccinum glaciale
  • †Buccinum kurodai – tentative report
  • †Buccinum ochotense – or unidentified related form
  • †Buccinum pemphigus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Buccinum percrassum
  • †Buccinum physematum
  • †Buccinum planeticum – or unidentified comparable form
• Bulbus
  • †Bulbus fragilis
• Byrrhus

C

• Cadulus
  • †Cadulus arcticus
• Calliostoma
• Callorhinus
  • †Callorhinus ursinus
• Calyptraea
  • †Calyptraea alaskana – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Calyptraea diegoana – or unidentified comparable form
• Camponotus
• Cancellaria
• Canis

  • 

    A living Canis lupus, or gray wolf

    †Canis lupus
• Carabus
  • †Carabus nemoralis – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Carabus truncaticollis – or unidentified comparable form
• †Carex
• Caryophyllia
  • †Caryophyllia arnoldi
• Cassidulina
  • †Cassidulina californica
  • †Cassidulina islandica
  • †Cassidulina teretis
  • †Cassidulina tortuosa
• Castalia
• †Castanaea
  • †Castanaea castaneaefolia
• Castanea
  • †Castanea cataneaefolia
• Cepheus
  • †Cepheus corae – or unidentified comparable form
• Ceratoppia – tentative report

• 

  Fossilized skeleton of the Pliocene-Pleistocene cervid Cervalces, or the stag moose

  †Cervalces
• Cervus
  • †Cervus elaphus
• Ceutorhynchus – tentative report
• Chama
• Chione
  • †Chione ensifera
• Chirona
  • †Chirona alaskana – type locality for species
  • †Chirona evermanni
• Chlamys
  • †Chlamys alaskensis
  • †Chlamys albida
  • †Chlamys aquilonia
  • †Chlamys ashiyaensis – or unidentified related form
  • †Chlamys ashiynensis
  • †Chlamys coatsi
  • †Chlamys cosibensis

  • 

    A modern shell of Chlamys islandica, or Iceland scallop

    †Chlamys islandica
  • †Chlamys nuwokensis
  • †Chlamys rubida
• †Chrysodomus – tentative report
• Chrysolina
• †Chrysomelites – type locality for genus
  • †Chrysomelites alaskanus – type locality for species
• Cibicides
  • †Cibicides lobatulus
• Ciliatocardium
  • †Ciliatocardium ciliatum
  • †Ciliatocardium islandicum – or unidentified related form
• Cingula
  • †Cingula martyni

• 

  Shell of a Clinocardium cockle

  Clinocardium
  • †Clinocardium californiense – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Clinocardium hannibali
  • †Clinocardium makiyamae
  • †Clinocardium meekianum
  • †Clinocardium nuttallii
  • †Clinocardium pristinum
• Colus
  • †Colus halibrectus – or unidentified related form
  • †Colus spitsbergensis
• †Conchocele
  • †Conchocele bisecta
• Corbicula
  • †Corbicula bibaiensis – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Corbicula muratai – or unidentified comparable form
• Corbula
  • †Corbula betsyae – type locality for species
• †Cornwallius
  • †Cornwallius sookensis

• 

  A living Corylus, or hazel

  †Corylus
  • †Corylus macquarri
• Costacallista
  • †Costacallista conradiana
• Crassatella
  • †Crassatella mathewsoni – or unidentified related form
  • †Crassatella nipponicus – or unidentified comparable form
• Crenella
  • †Crenella kannoi – type locality for species
  • †Crenella porterensis
• Crepidula
  • †Crepidula ungana
• Cryptonatica
  • †Cryptonatica affinis
• Cyclocardia
  • †Cyclocardia belogolovensis
  • †Cyclocardia crassidens
  • †Cyclocardia crebricostata
  • †Cyclocardia ezoensis
  • †Cyclocardia nuwokensis
  • †Cyclocardia roundiformis
  • †Cyclocardia sakamotoi
  • †Cyclocardia subcrassidens
  • †Cyclocardia subnipponica – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Cyclocardia tokunagai – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Cyclocardia wajampolkensis – or unidentified comparable form
• †Cyclocardium
  • †Cyclocardium roundiformis – or unidentified comparable form
• Cylichna
• Cyperus
• Cyrtodaria
  • †Cyrtodaria katieae – type locality for species
  • †Cyrtodaria kurriana
  • †Cyrtodaria rutupiensis

D

• Dasiops – tentative report
• Delphinapterus – tentative report
• Dentalium
  • †Dentalium nunomae – or unidentified comparable form

• 

  Fossilized cranium of the Miocene seal Desmatophoca

  †Desmatophoca – tentative report
• Diacheila
  • †Diacheila matthewsi
• Dicrostonyx
• Diestothyris
  • †Diestothyris frontalis
• Dioon
  • †Dioon praespinulosum – type locality for species
• Diplodonta
  • †Diplodonta aleutica
  • †Diplodonta parilis
• †Dryophyllum
  • †Dryophyllum stanleyanum
• Dyschirius

E

• 

  Seafloor covered in living Echinarachnius sand dollars

  Echinarachnius
• Echinophoria
  • †Echinophoria apta
• †Ellipsoscapha
  • †Ellipsoscapha sohli – type locality for species
• Elphidiella
  • †Elphidiella arctica
• Elphidium
  • †Elphidium alaskense
  • †Elphidium clavatum
  • †Elphidium frigidum

• 

  A living Enhydra lutris, or sea otter

  Enhydra
• Enicmus
• †Epipremnum
  • †Epipremnum crassum
• Epitonium
  • †Epitonium atwoodi
  • †Epitonium greenlandicum
• Equus
  • †Equus alaskae
• Erignathus
  • †Erignathus barbatus
• Erigone

• 

  A living Eschrichtius robustus, or gray whale

  Eschrichtius
• Eumetopias
  • †Eumetopias jubata
• †Eumorphocorystes
  • †Eumorphocorystes naselensis
• Euspira
  • †Euspira pallida
• Evalea
• †Exilia – tentative report

F

• 

  Fossilized foliage of the Cretaceous-Oligocene flowering plant Flabellaria

  †Flabellaria
  • †Flabellaria gronlandica
• Fortipecten
  • †Fortipecten hallae
• Fulgoraria

G

• Gari
  • †Gari brouwersae – type locality for species
• Georissus
• Globigerina

  • 

    A living Globigerina bulloides foraminiferan

    †Globigerina bulloides – or unidentified related form
  • †Globigerina pachyderma
• Glycymeris
  • †Glycymeris sagittatus
  • †Glycymeris septentrionalis

H

• †Hataiella
  • †Hataiella chichibuensis – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Hataiella sagai
• Helophorus
  • †Helophorus splendidus
• Hemithiris
  • †Hemithiris psittacea
• Hiatella
  • †Hiatella arctica
• Hinnites – tentative report
• Histriophoca
  • †Histriophoca fasciata
• Homalopoma – tentative report
• †Hydrodamalis

  • 

    Restorative model of the Pleistocene-Holocene manatee relative Hydrodamalis gigas, or Steller's sea cow

    †Hydrodamalis gigas

I

• †Integricardium
  • †Integricardium kennae – type locality for species

• 

  A modern Isurus, or mako shark

  Isurus

J

• †Jugina
  • †Jugina snigella
• †Juglna
  • †Juglna snigella

K

• Kalissus
  • †Kalissus nitidus
• Karreriella
  • †Karreriella baccata
• †Kolponomos – or unidentified comparable form
• Kurtiella
  • †Kurtiella tumida

L

• Lasiopodomys
  • †Lasiopodomys deceitensis
• †Lastraea
  • †Lastraea stiriaca
• Lathrobium
• Laurus
• Leistus
• Lemmus

  • 

    A living Lemmus sibiricus, or Siberian brown lemming

    †Lemmus sibiricus
• Leptothorax
• Leukoma
  • †Leukoma staylei – or unidentified comparable form
• Limatula
  • †Limatula attenuata
• Liocyma
  • †Liocyma fluctuosa
• Liomesus
  • †Liomesus nux
• Littorina
  • †Littorina sitchana
• †Lora
  • †Lora skullcliffensis
• Lucinoma
  • †Lucinoma acutilineata

• 

  A living Lunatia moon sea snail

  Lunatia
  • †Lunatia groenlandica – or unidentified related form
• Lyonsia
  • †Lyonsia mooreae

M

• 

  Interior and exterior of a shell of a Macoma tellin

  Macoma
  • †Macoma albaria
  • †Macoma astori
  • †Macoma balthica – or unidentified related form
  • †Macoma brota – or unidentified related form
  • †Macoma calcarea
  • †Macoma golikovi
  • †Macoma moesta
  • †Macoma optiva
  • †Macoma twinensis
• Macrocallista – tentative report
• Mactromeris
  • †Mactromeris albaria
  • †Mactromeris brevirostrata
  • †Mactromeris polynyma
• Magnolia
  • †Magnolia inglefieldi
• †Mammut
• †Mammuthus

  • 

    Restoration of a herd of Mammuthus primigenius, or wooly mammoths

    †Mammuthus primigenius
• Margarites
  • †Margarites peninsularis
• Marmota
• Martesia – tentative report
• Mathilda
  • †Mathilda amundseni – type locality for species
• Megayoldia
  • †Megayoldia montereyensis – or unidentified related form
• Messor
• †Metacarcinus
  • †Metacarcinus goederti
• Micridium
• Micropeplus
  • †Micropeplus hoogendorni – type locality for species
  • †Micropeplus hopkinsi – type locality for species
• Microtus
• Miodontiscus
  • †Miodontiscus prolongatus
• Mizuhopecten
  • †Mizuhopecten mollerensis
• Modiolus
  • †Modiolus harrimani
• †Molopophorus
  • †Molopophorus bogachielii – or unidentified comparable form
• Musculus
  • †Musculus niger
• †Mya
  • †Mya arenaria – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Mya elegans
  • †Mya grewingki
  • †Mya truncata

• 

  Fruit of a living Myrica, or firetree

  Myrica
  • †Myrica arctogale
• †Mytilon – type locality for genus
  • †Mytilon theresae – type locality for species
• Mytilus
  • †Mytilus coalingensis
  • †Mytilus edulis
  • †Mytilus gratacapi
  • †Mytilus middendorffi
  • †Mytilus pholadis

N

• Namunaria
• Natica
  • †Natica janthostoma
  • †Natica oregonensis

• 

  A living Nebria ground beetle

  Nebria
• †Neilo
  • †Neilo gryci – type locality for species
• Nemocardium
  • †Nemocardium exoense
• Neoconorbina
  • †Neoconorbina tabernacularis
• Neopilumnoplax
  • †Neopilumnoplax hannibalanus
• Neptunea
  • †Neptunea elatior – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Neptunea heros
  • †Neptunea leffingwelli
  • †Neptunea lyrata
  • †Neptunea modesta – or unidentified related form
  • †Neptunea plafkeri
  • †Neptunea tabulata – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Neptunea ventricosa
• Neverita
  • †Neverita washingtonensis
• Notiophilus
  • †Notiophilus aeneus – or unidentified comparable form

• 

  Interior of a fossilized shell of the Early Ordovician-modern marine bivalve Nucula

  Nucula
  • †Nucula micheleae – type locality for species
• Nuculana
  • †Nuculana fossa
  • †Nuculana moriyai – type locality for species
  • †Nuculana morrisi

O

• Ochotona
  • †Ochotona whartoni
• Odobenus

  • 

    A living Odobenus rosmarus, or walrus

    †Odobenus rosmarus
• Oenopota
  • †Oenopota candida
  • †Oenopota laevigata
• Oolina
  • †Oolina borealis
• †Orbitoplax – type locality for genus
  • †Orbitoplax plafkeri – type locality for species
• Oribatella – tentative report
• †Orodaphne

• 

  Living Osmunda ferns

  †Osmunda
  • †Osmunda doroschkiana
• Ostrea
  • †Ostrea lincolnensis – or unidentified related form
  • †Ostrea tigiliana
  • †Ostrea trigiliana – or unidentified comparable form
• †Ounalashkastylus – type locality for genus
  • †Ounalashkastylus tomidai – type locality for species
• Ovibos

  • 

    A living Ovibos moschatus, or muskox

    †Ovibos moschatus
• Ovis
  • †Ovis dalli – tentative report
• †Oxytoma
  • †Oxytoma hargrovei – type locality for species

P

• 

  A living Pagophilus groenlandicus, or harp seal

  Pagophilus
  • †Pagophilus groenlandica
• Palliolum
  • †Palliolum groenlandicum
• Pandora
  • †Pandora wardiana
• Panomya
  • †Panomya ampla
  • †Panomya izumo
  • †Panomya trapezoidis
• Papyridea
  • †Papyridea harrimani
• Parapholas – tentative report
  • †Parapholas california
• †Parasyrinx
• Patrobus
  • †Patrobus septentrionis – or unidentified comparable form
• Penitella
• Periploma
  • †Periploma aleutica
  • †Periploma besshoense
  • †Periploma fragilis – or unidentified related form
• †Perse
• Phenacomys
  • †Phenacomys deeringensis
• Phoca
  • †Phoca hispida

  • 

    A living Phoca vitulina, or harbor seal

    †Phoca vitulina
• Picea
  • †Picea glauca
  • †Picea mariana
  • †Picea sitchensis – or unidentified comparable form
• Pinus
  • †Pinus monticola

• 

  Shell of a Pitar venus clam

  Pitar
  • †Pitar angustifrons
  • †Pitar avenalensis – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Pitar dalli – or unidentified related form
• †Placunopsis
  • †Placunopsis rothi – type locality for species
• †Planera
  • †Planera ungeri
• Planulina
  • †Planulina alaskensis
• Plicifusus
  • †Plicifusus kroyeri – or unidentified related form
• Pododesmus

  • 

    Two living Pododesmus macrochisma or Alaska jingles

    †Pododesmus macrochisma
• Polinices
  • †Polinices diabloensis
  • †Polinices lincolnensis – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Polinices pallidus
  • †Polinices ramonensis
  • †Polinices repenningi – type locality for species
• Polymorphina
  • †Polymorphina kincaidi

• 

  Montage of photographs in spring (top left), summer (top right), autumn (bottom left), and winter (bottom right) of Populus, or poplar tree

  Populus
  • †Populus balsamoides
  • †Populus glandulifera
• Portlandia
  • †Portlandia ovata
  • †Portlandia watasei
• †Portunites
  • †Portunites alaskensis
• †Praeovibos
• †Predicrostonyx
  • †Predicrostonyx hopkinsi
• †Priscofusus
  • †Priscofusus clarki
  • †Priscofusus stewarti – or unidentified related form
• †Protocardia – tentative report
• †Protochelydra
  • †Protochelydra zangerli – or unidentified comparable form
• Protothaca
  • †Protothaca staleyi
• Pseudarchaster
• Pteris
  • †Pteris sitkensis
• Pterostichus
  • †Pterostichus corvinus – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Pterostichus vermiculosus – or unidentified comparable form
• Puncturella
  • †Puncturella longifissa
• Purpura
  • †Purpura crispata – or unidentified related form

• 

  A living Pusa earless seal

  Pusa – or unidentified related form
  • †Pusa hispida
• Pyrgo
  • †Pyrgo elongata – or unidentified comparable form
• Pyrulofusus
  • †Pyrulofusus schraderi

Q

• 

  A living Quercus, or oak tree

  Quercus
• Quinqueloculina
  • †Quinqueloculina agglutinata
  • †Quinqueloculina akneriana
  • †Quinqueloculina seminulum

R

• Rangifer

  • 

    A living Rangifer tarandus, or reindeer

    †Rangifer tarandus
• Raninoides
  • †Raninoides vaderensis
• Rhabdus
  • †Rhabdus schencki – or unidentified comparable form
• Rosalina
  • †Rosalina wrightii
• †Rotalia
  • †Rotalia columbiensis

S

• 

  Illustration of two Saiga tatarica antelopes

  Saiga
• Saxidomus
  • †Saxidomus callistaeformis – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Saxidomus hanzawai
• Scaphander
  • †Scaphander lignarius – or unidentified comparable form
• †Scutella
  • †Scutella gabbi
• Sequoia
  • †Sequoia couttsiae – tentative report
  • †Sequoia langsdorfii
  • †Sequoia nordenskioldi – tentative report
• Serripes
  • †Serripes groenlandicus
  • †Serripes hamiltonensis
  • †Serripes laperousii
• †Shedocardia – tentative report
• Siliqua
  • †Siliqua alta – or unidentified comparable form
• Similipecten
  • †Similipecten greenlandicus
• Simplocaria

• 

  Shell of the whelk sea snail Siphonalia

  Siphonalia
  • †Siphonalia sakakurai – or unidentified related form
• †Skeneopsis
  • †Skeneopsis alaskana
• Solamen
  • †Solamen leana
• Solena
• Sorex
• Spermophilus
  • †Spermophilus undulatus
• Spirorbis
• Spirotropis
  • †Spirotropis perversa – or unidentified comparable form
• Spisula
  • †Spisula addicotti
  • †Spisula callistaeformis
  • †Spisula eugenense – or unidentified related form
  • †Spisula hannibali – or unidentified comparable form
• Stenus
• †Streptochetus – tentative report
• Strongylocentrotus
  • †Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

• 

  Branch with fruit of a Symphoricarpos, or snowberry shrub

  †Symphoricarpos

T

• Tachinus
  • †Tachinus apertus – or unidentified comparable form
• Tachyrhynchus
  • †Tachyrhynchus erosus
• †Tancredia
  • †Tancredia slavichi – type locality for species
• †Taxites
  • †Taxites olriki
• Taxodium

  • 

    Living Taxodium distichum, or bald cypresses

    †Taxodium distichum
  • †Taxodium dubium
  • †Taxodium occidentale
  • †Taxodium tinajorum
• Tellina
  • †Tellina aragonia
• †Tellinimera
  • †Tellinimera kauffmani – type locality for species
• Terebratula
  • †Terebratula retusa – or unidentified related form
• Terebratulina
  • †Terebratulina retusa – or unidentified related form
• Thracia
  • †Thracia condoni
  • †Thracia septentrionalis – or unidentified related form
• Thyasira
  • †Thyasira arctica

• 

  A living Tonicella, or lined chiton

  Tonicella
  • †Tonicella marmorea
• †Trichohyalis
  • †Trichohyalis ornatissima
• Trichotropis
  • †Trichotropis bicarinata
• †Triloculine
  • †Triloculine trigonula
• †Tsuga

  • 

    A living Tsuga heterophylla, or western hemlock

    †Tsuga heterophylla
• Turritella
  • †Turritella uvasana
• Turtonia
  • †Turtonia minuta
• †Tymolus
  • †Tymolus alaskensis – type locality for species
• †Tyrannoberingius
  • †Tyrannoberingius rex
• †Tyrranoberingius
  • †Tyrranoberingius rex

U

• 

  A living Ulmus, or elm

  Ulmus
• Ursus
• †Uya
  • †Uya arenaria – or unidentified related form

V

• 

  A variety of modern Vaccinium species, clockwise from top right: cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries, and huckleberries

  †Vaccinium
• Venericardia
  • †Venericardia clarki – or unidentified related form
• Veraphis – tentative report
• †Vertipecten
• Vitavitus
  • †Vitavitus thulius – or unidentified comparable form
• Vitis
  • †Vitis olriki
• Volutopsius
  • †Volutopsius stefanssoni – or unidentified related form
• Vulpes

  • 

    A living Vulpes vulpes, or red fox

    †Vulpes vulpes

X

• 

  A living Xysticus crab spider

  Xysticus
  • †Xysticus archaeopalpus – type locality for species

Y

• Yoldia
  • †Yoldia breweri – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Yoldia emersoni – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Yoldia gladenkovi – type locality for species
  • †Yoldia palachei – or unidentified comparable form
  • †Yoldia scissurata
  • †Yoldia sobrina
• Yoldiella
  • †Yoldiella scissurata

References

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