GeoSymbols:

Official fossils are very popular among the fifty U.S. states but are very rare elsewhere. I know of no national fossil, with the possible exception of Antigua and Barbuda, which calls petrified wood its national stone. Of course, there are a few fossils that are commonly associated with particular nations, some of which are depicted on stamps. For example, the fossil bird Archaeopteryx is perhaps the most famous German fossil. Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa are famous for their fossils of ancient hominids, the ancestors of humans.

It’s understandable that Canada should have so few official fossils. After all, much of the geological record in this vast region was wiped clean by Ice Age glaciers. One of the most famous fossils sites in the nation is British Columbia’s Burgess shale, which is renowned for its fossils of extremely ancient (Cambrian) marine life.

Nevertheless, Canada boasts a couple official fossils. Alberta designated petrified wood its official stone. (The dinosaur Albertosaurus would seem a natural pick for Alberta.) Nova Scotia has a proper official fossil, the ancient reptile Hylonomus lyelli.

Western Australia adopted the gogo fish (Mcnamaraspis kaprios) as its official fossil.

And that concludes our tour of official fossils, except for official fossils of the fifty U.S. states.

State Fossils

In 1965, California, Ohio, and Oregon became the first states to adopt official rocks and minerals. Michigan also selected an official stone that year, though it didn’t become official until 1966.

The Petoskey stone still made history, for it was the first official fossil—even if it wasn’t exactly a state fossil. You see, Petoskey stones are actually fossilized corals (Hexagonaria percarinata). Today, most states have official fossils, and they aren’t ashamed to call them state fossils.

The first genuine state fossil was Nebraska’s mammoth (a designation representing all mammoth species), which was adopted in 1967. It was also a fairly unusual state fossil. Most states are represented by dinosaurs (if they have them), or by even more ancient marine invertebrates.

Marine Invertebrates

Marine invertebrates are especially popular in the eastern United States and the Midwest. Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are represented by trilobites. Maryland’s official fossil snail (Ecphora gardnerae) and neighboring Virginia’s prehistoric scallop (Chesapecten jeffersonius) are especially historic. Virginia’s was even named for Thomas Jefferson, who was a famous fossil fan. Tennessee also adopted a bivalve (Pterotrigonia thoracica).

Kentucky’s official fossil is the clam-like brachiopod. (Note: Brachiopods are not mollusks!) Some brachiopods survive even today, as do crinoids, or “sea lilies.” The fabulous crinoid fields of the past are recalled by Missouri’s state fossil, the crinoid Delocrinus missouriensis.

Even limestone and marble—official symbols of Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana and Vermont—are marine fossils of sorts. Similarly, Utah’s state rock, coal, is a souvenir of exotic prehistoric “coal forests.”

West Virginia and Florida joined Michigan in adopting fossilized coral, even if they didn’t make them their state fossils. (Florida’s unofficial state fossil, Eupatagus, was a relative of sea urchins and sand dollars.)

Perhaps the most bizarre state fossil is Illinois’ Tully monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium). What on earth was it?

The king of official invertebrates is probably New York’s Eurypterus remipes, a type of sea scorpion.

Dinosaurs!

A spectacular reminder that dinosaurs also lived in what is eastern North America comes from New Jersey. America’s first dinosaur, the duckbill Hadrosaurus foulkii, was adopted as New Jersey’s state dinosaur. Just recently, Maryland designated Astrodon its state dinosaur. Equally exciting are the dinosaur tracks that represent Massachusetts and neighboring Connecticut.

But official dinosaurs really rule the West. It’s hard to believe no state has adopted Tyrannosaurus, but the earlier Allosaurus rules Utah. (Sorry, Utahraptor!) Allosaurs likely preyed on Stegosaurus, state fossil of neighboring Colorado. Oklahoma designated another Jurassic carnosaur (Saurophaganax maximus) its state fossil. Still another official Jurassic beast is Texas’ Pleurocoelus, a “long-neck” that left some of the most famous footprints ever.

Dinosaurs from the later Cretaceous Period represent Wyoming and South Dakota (Triceratops) and Montana (Maisaura peeblesorum). Maia was adopted after the sensational discovery of its nesting grounds on a Montana ranch. Like Maia, Missouri’s state fossil (Hypsibema missouriense) is a hadrosaur.

The oldest—and tiniest—state dinosaur is Arizona’s Coelophysis, which hails from the Triassic Period. During the Triassic, the sea covered much of western North America. In fact, Nevada’s state fossil is a Triassic ichthyosaur, sort of a reptilian whale.

Plants

Ahoy, Petrified Wood!

The world’s most famous fossilized wood also comes from the Triassic. Arizona petrified wood was named Arizona’s state fossil, a tribute to Petrified Forest National Park. The designation recognizes the species Araucarioxylon arizonicum.

Petrified wood links the Age of Dinosaurs to the present. North Dakota’s state fossil is teredo petrified wood, or wood that was bored by ancient “shipworms.” It dates to about the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. Louisiana and Texas adopted petrified palm wood, a reminder that the Gulf of Mexico was once further north than it is today.

The prehistoric whales that were adopted by Alabama (Basilosaurus cetoides) and Mississippi (Basilosaurus and Zygorhiza) lived and became extinct before Washington State’s famous Ginkgo Forest flourished. Petrified wood is Washington’s official state gem. However, the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi)—recently adopted as Washington’s state fossil—lived long after the Ginkgo forest was buried in lava for the last time.

Beyond Wood

The oldest official plant is Pertica quadrifaria, which grew long before dinosaurs evolved. It was adopted as Maine’s official fossil.

In 2005, Oregon adopted another exciting plant fossil, Metasequoia. Nicknamed the “dawn redwood,” it was perhaps the most characteristic Oregon plant during the Miocene epoch (25-5 million years ago).

Mammals

Living Fossils

Even younger state fossils rubbed elbows with ancient peoples. These include Alaska’s woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), Michigan’s American mammoth (Mammut americanum) and California’s saber-toothed cat (Smilodon).

Vermont’s state fossil is still living today! It’s the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), which swam in Vermont’s Lake Champlain when it was an Ice Age sea.

Horse-Zebras & Other Questions

Idaho’s state fossil, the Hagerman Horse (Equus simplicidens), nicely complements its state horse, the Appaloosa. It also reminds us of one of prehistory’s greatest mysteries: Why did horses become extinct in North America, where they evolved?

Fortunately, Spanish explorers brought horses back to the New World. But I’d still like to know if the Hagerman horse looked more like a horse or a zebra.

And why did giant Ice Age beavers die out in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes? What spectacular creatures have yet to be discovered in the fabulous chalk beds of Kansas, which has no official fossil? Might one of the Carolinas one day give us the oldest state fossil, or will Minnesotans adopt a stromatolite instead of a bear-sized beaver? Why are there so few fossils in Hawaii?

That’s what I love about state fossils. They inspire so many questions!

State Fossil Highlights

Most Popular

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are popular state symbols in states where their remains are found. States with official dinosaurs (or tracks) include Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

South Dakota and Wyoming both adopted Triceratops, making it the most popular state dinosaur. Missouri, Montana and New Jersey each adopted a hadrosaur, or duck-billed dinosaur, though they chose different species.

Mammals

Elephants and whales rule among official fossil mammals. Neighbors Alabama and Mississippi each adopted prehistoric whales, though they’re different species. Vermont’s fossil whale isn’t even prehistoric; belugas are still swimming in the sea.

The woolly mammoth and Columbian mammoth each represent two states. Alaska adopted the woolly mammoth, Washington the Columbian. Both are also symbols of Nebraska, which adopted all mammoths that lived in Nebraska. The official elephant (or proboscidean) is Michigan’s American mammoth.

Invertebrates

At least fourteen states have adopted invertebrates as state symbols, most of them marine. Of these, trilobites represent three states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan). Trilobites were also candidates in Utah and California.

Tennessee and Virginia are represented by bivalves, Maryland by a marine snail (gastropod).

Fossil corals are symbols of Michigan (Petoskey stone), West Virginia (lithostrotionella), and Florida (agatized coral).

Plants

Aside from Maine’s Pertica quadrifaria and Oregon’s Metasequoia, fossil plants are represented only by petrified wood, a symbol of Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Mississippi, Washington, and Alberta. Only Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona chose specific varieties of petrified wood.

States with Two Official Fossils

Wyoming and Maryland are the only states with two fossils that were adopted as official fossils (or dinosaurs). Wyoming is represented by the fossil fish Knightia and Triceratops. Maryland’s fossil symbols are a marine snail and the dinosaur Astrodon.

Mississippi’s state symbols include a prehistoric whale and petrified wood, Washington’s a mammoth and petrified wood, and Texas’ a dinosaur and petrified wood. But they adopted petrified wood as the state gem or stone, not a state fossil. Similarly, Utah’s symbols include the dinosaur Allosaurus and coal, the state rock. Michigan recognizes a prehistoric coral as its state stone, in addition to a state fossil. Besides their state fossils, Alabama and Vermont adopted marble, which is made of marine invertebrate fossils, as their state rock.

Names

Place Names

Araucarioxylon arizonicum and Delocrinus missouriensis offer clues to their adoptive states. Chesapecten jeffersonius is named for Chesapeake Bay, which is shared by Maryland and Virginia.

Idaho’s Hagerman horse and Michigan’s Petoskey stone are named for communities. Similarly, Vermont’s fossil whale is nicknamed Charlotte for the town it was found near.

Washington’s Columbian mammoth recalls the vast lava beds of the Columbian plateau.

Named for People

America’s first dinosaur, New Jersey’s Hadrosaurus foulkii, was named for William Parke Foulke, who excavated it. Illinois’ Tully monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium) was named for its discoverer, Francis J. Tully.

Mississippi’s favorite prehistoric whale, Zygorhiza kochii, is named for the German collector Dr. Albert Koch.

Maryland’s official fossil shell, Ecphora gardnerae, is named for Dr. Julia Gardner of the U.S. Geological Survey, who studied the East Coast Coastal Plain formations. The fossil fish Knightia is named for Wilbur Clinton Knight, the first Wyoming state geologist and a paleontologist at the University of Wyoming.

America’s most famous fossil fan is honored by Virginia’s state fossil, a scallop named Chesapecten jeffersonius. This person also lent his name to Megalonyx jeffersonius, a giant ground sloth that was proposed as the state fossil of a faraway state named for his colleague. Can you guess who this person is?

Montana’s favorite dinosaur, Maiasaura peeblesorum, was named for the Peebles, on whose ranch its spectacular nesting colony was found.

Washington’s state fossil, the Columbian mammoth, shares its name with the Columbian Plateau and the Columbia River. But if you followed the name through history, you would probably find that it leads to Christopher Columbus.

Fossilaneous...

Biggest... The biggest state fossil is Texas’ Pleurocoelus, a dinosaur related to the better known Brachiosaurus. But Pleurocoelus shrinks mighty fast if you want to consider limestone, marble, or coal, symbols of five states. After all, beds of limestone, marble, and coal can stretch for miles!
Oldest The oldest state fossils are marine invertebrates. The oldest of these is Ohio’s state fossil, the trilobite Isotelus. It lived during the Ordovician Period, more than 412 million years ago! But Isotelus would become a youngster if North Carolina were to adopt Pteridinium carolinaense. This soft-bodied invertebrate lived during the Precambrian, some 620 million years ago. That’s more than half a billion years! Even that’s baby stuff when you consider the creature students from Minnesota’s North Star Primary School wanted to adopt. Gruneria biwabika is a plant-like algal stromatolite that lived two billion years ago!	Youngest The woolly mammoth (Alaska & Nebraska), Columbian mammoth (Washington & Nebraska), and saber-toothed cat (California) all lived during the Ice Age, which ended only about 10,000 years ago! Vermont’s state fossil is a beluga whale that lived towards the end of the Ice Age, between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. But Vermont adopted an individual whale; its relatives survive even today.
Freshest Woolly mammoths have been discovered in Alaska and Siberia complete with hair and flesh!
Most Localized The Devonian plant Pertica quadrifaria is found in only a few localities in Maine. Maryland’s fossil shell Ecphora gardnerae is found primarily in the Calvert Cliffs along Chesapeake Bay. But the most localized state fossil is probably Illinois’ Tully monster, which is found only at Mazon Creek.	Most Widespread The most widespread state fossils are general designations, such as Kentucky’s brachiopod, Georgia’s shark tooth, and “petrified wood,” adopted by several states. They’re all found around the world.
Most Abundant The most abundant specific species of vertebrate state fossil is probably Wyoming’s fossil fish Knightia, which is found by the thousands in Fossil Butte National Monument. But it can’t compete with Georgia’s shark tooth. Millions of them are probably scattered across Georgia alone. Fossils of marine invertebrates and petrified wood are also widespread and locally abundant.	Most Unique Official plant fossils are uncommon. Only Arizona, Maine and Oregon designated particular species. But Maine’s Pertica quadrifaria is the most unique, with no known relatives. Among animal fossils, Illinois’ Tully monster has no known relatives either.
Animal Parts Georgia’s state fossil is the shark tooth. Why didn’t they adopt the entire animal? Sharks have no bones. Thus, their teeth are typically the only evidence they leave behind. But sharks have left countless millions of teeth.	Not Even a Part Dinosaur remains are rare in the eastern United States. No problem—Massachusetts and Connecticut simply adopted dinosaur tracks!
Toughest Scientific Name This is just personal opinion, but I would have the toughest time spelling Arizona’s Araucarioxylon arizonicum. Not that all of the others are easy!	Easiest Scientific Names Why, Allosaurs, Stegosaurs and Triceratops, of course!
Fossil Parks & Monuments Arizona’s state fossil is closely associated with Petrified Forest National Park, though it’s also found outside the Park. Similarly, Colorado’s Stegosaurus is one of the stars of Dinosaur National Monument. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument was established to protect Idaho’s state fossil. A variety of Eocene fossils are found in Wyoming’s Fossil Butte National Monument, but the most famous by far is the state fossil, the fish Knightia. State parks were established to protect Connecticut’s dinosaur tracks and Nevada’s state ichthyosaur. Texas’ official dinosaur, Pleurocoelus, is closely associated with Dinosaur Valley State Park. Washington’s most famous petrified wood is found in Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park.

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