The idea of adopting official state fossils in the United States grew out of the same impulse that led to the recognition of state birds, flowers, and trees: an interest in celebrating distinctive natural heritage and educating the public about local history and identity.
Unlike flora and fauna, fossils connect each state to its deep geologic past, sometimes hundreds of millions of years before humans appeared. Because fossils are tangible remnants of extinct organisms, they also tie together themes of paleontology, geology, and evolutionary biology with regional pride.
The process of designating state fossils often begins with proposals from schoolchildren, local paleontological societies, or lawmakers interested in promoting science awareness. Legislatures then codify the designation, and the fossils often end up displayed prominently in museums and educational institutions.
The fossils chosen vary widely, reflecting both scientific significance and cultural attachment. Some states select dinosaurs, such as Wyoming’s choice of the Triceratops or Colorado’s Stegosaurus, because these creatures capture the
imagination and are closely associated with the region’s fossil beds. Others have chosen marine organisms like crinoids, ammonites, and trilobites, reflecting the ancient seas that once covered much of North America. Still others, like Maryland’s Ecphora (a fossil snail), or Florida’s Agatized Coral, point to unique local finds that may not be as famous globally but hold deep regional importance. Not every state has an official fossil, but most have designated one since the 1980s,
and the trend continues as legislatures occasionally revisit the issue to recognize newly discovered or iconic specimens. The designations often have an educational purpose, serving as a gateway for school curricula to connect local children with paleontology. In many cases, fossil adoptions were sparked by classroom projects in which
students lobbied legislators, turning the process into a civics lesson as well. Additionally, the fossils serve as tourism draws, since sites where these specimens were unearthed often become destinations for amateur fossil hunters or visitors to local museums.
Taken together, the state fossil designations present a patchwork story of the deep past of North America, telling of ancient seas, giant reptiles, early mammals, and other extinct life forms, each tied to a particular state’s geological record. Now, here is the list of state fossils in alphabetical order, with state, common name, binomial name, and year adopted:
- Alabama – Basilosaurus cetoides – 1984
- Alaska – Woolly Mammoth – Mammuthus primigenius – 1986
- Arizona – Petrified Wood – Araucarioxylon arizonicum – 1988
- Arkansas – Dinosaur (Arkansaurus fridayi) – Arkansaurus fridayi – 2017
- California – Saber-toothed Cat – Smilodon fatalis – 1973
- Colorado – Stegosaurus – Stegosaurus armatus – 1982
- Connecticut – Dinosaur Tracks – Eubrontes giganteus – 1991
- Delaware – Belemnite – Belemnitella americana – 1996
- Florida – Agatized Coral – Anthozoa (no single binomial) – 1979
- Georgia – Shark Tooth – Carcharodon (various fossil species) – 1976
- Idaho – Hagerman Horse – Equus simplicidens – 1988
- Illinois – Tully Monster – Tullimonstrum gregarium – 1989
- Indiana – Mastodon – Mammut americanum – 2009
- Iowa – Crinoid – unspecified crinoids – 2010
- Kansas – Pteranodon – Pteranodon longiceps – 2014
- Kentucky – Brachiopod – Platystrophia – 1986
- Louisiana – Petrified Palmwood – Palmoxylon – 1976
- Maine – Fossil Plant (Pertica quadrifaria) – Pertica quadrifaria – 1985
- Maryland – Ecphora (Gastropod) – Ecphora gardnerae – 1994
- Massachusetts – Dinosaur Tracks – Eubrontes giganteus – 1980
- Michigan – Mastodon – Mammut americanum – 2002
- Mississippi – Prehistoric Whale – Basilosaurus cetoides – 1981
- Missouri – Crinoid – Delocrinus missouriensis – 1989
- Montana – Duck-billed Dinosaur – Maiasaura peeblesorum – 1985
- Nebraska – Mammoth – Mammuthus columbi – 1967
- Nevada – Ichthyosaur – Shonisaurus popularis – 1977
- New Hampshire – Mastodon – Mammut americanum – 2015
- New Jersey – Duck-billed Dinosaur – Hadrosaurus foulkii – 1991
- New Mexico – Coelophysis – Coelophysis bauri – 1981
- New York – Sea Scorpion – Eurypterus remipes – 1984
- North Carolina – Megalodon Shark Tooth – Carcharocles megalodon – 2013
- North Dakota – Teredo Petrified Wood – Teredolites (fossil burrows) – 1967
- Ohio – Trilobite – Isotelus maximus – 1985
- Oklahoma – Saurophaganax – Saurophaganax maximus – 2000
- Oregon – Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood) – Metasequoia glyptostroboides (fossil) – 2005
- Pennsylvania – Trilobite – Phacops rana – 1988
- South Carolina – Columbian Mammoth – Mammuthus columbi – 2014
- South Dakota – Triceratops – Triceratops horridus – 1988
- Tennessee – Bivalve – Pterotrigonia thoracica – 1998
- Texas – Petrified Palmwood – Palmoxylon – 1969
- Utah – Allosaurus – Allosaurus fragilis – 1988
- Vermont – Beluga Whale – Delphinapterus leucas (fossil remains) – 1993
- Virginia – Chesapecten jeffersonius (Scallop) – 1993
- Washington – Columbian Mammoth – Mammuthus columbi – 1998
- West Virginia – Megalodon Shark Tooth – Carcharocles megalodon – 2002
- Wisconsin – Trilobite – Calymene celebra – 1985
- Wyoming – Triceratops – Triceratops horridus – 1994
Further Reading
Sources
- National Park Service “Official State Fossils” https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/official-state-fossils.htm
- Wikipedia “List of U.S. state fossils” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_fossils
- Fossilera “List of State Fossils” https://www.fossilera.com/pages/state-fossils
