Most states in the US have designated a state fossil, many during the 1980s. It is common to designate a fossilized species, rather than a single specimen or a category of fossils. State fossils are distinct from other state emblems like state dinosaurs, state stones, state minerals, state gemstones or state rocks and a state may designate one, a few, or all of those. For example, in Arizona, the state stone is turquoise and the state dinosaur is Sonorasaurus thompsoni yet the state fossil is petrified wood.
The two first states to designate a state fossil were Nebraska and North Dakota, both in 1967.
Six states and the District of Columbia as of March 10th, 2026 still lack an explicit state fossil:
- Arkansas: There is no state fossil in Arkansas, though the state designated Arkansaurus as its state dinosaur.1
- District of Columbia: Capitalsaurus is the state dinosaur of Washington D.C., but the District has not chosen a state fossil.
- Florida: There is no state fossil in Florida, though agatised coral, which is a fossil, is the state stone.
- Hawaii: In history, Hawaii is too young to have many fossils, and its igneous composition makes fossils harder to find. The government has not officially declared any of its existing fossils a state fossil. 2
- Iowa: The crinoid was proposed in 20183, though it was not officially accepted.
- New Hampshire: The American mastodon (Mammut americanum) was considered in 2015.4
- Texas: There is no state fossil, though the state dinosaur is Sauroposeidon proteles.5
Table of state fossils
See also
See also
References
References
- "Arkansas State Fossil - Arkansaurus - While Arkansas does not officially have a state fossil it does have a state dinosaur". State Symbols, State Fossil. Fossilera. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- "Official State Fossils". nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- "Iowa to consider recognizing official state fossil". The Seattle Times. January 23, 2018.
- Carlson, Brady (January 6, 2015). "Granite Geek: Will The Mastodon Become New Hampshire's Official State Fossil?". New Hampshire Public Radio.
- "Texas State Symbols". Texas State Legislature. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- "Official State of Alabama Fossil". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. August 2, 2005. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
- "Georgia State Fossil". State Symbols, State Fossil. New Georgie Encyclopedia. March 30, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - The Hagerman horse at the Idaho official list of state emblems
- Illinois State Symbols, Department of Natural Resources, archived from the original on February 17, 2017, retrieved May 20, 2019
- "Indiana lawmakers name mastodon as first state fossil". WHAS-TV. Associated Press. February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- "State Fossils - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society".
- "List of State Fossils". State Symbols, State Fossil. Fossilera. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
- "Kentucky State Symbols". Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives. March 30, 2007. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
- "Louisiana State Fossil". State Symbols, State Fossil. e-Reference Desk. March 8, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- "Maryland's Official State Fossil Shell". Maryland Geological Survey. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
- Official state fossil of Massachusetts in "State Symbols USA"
- Sudak, Stuart (May 30, 2025). "Giant beaver becomes Minnesota's official state fossil". Eden Prairie Local News. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- Fossil whale: State Fossil of Mississippi (PDF), Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, 1991, retrieved May 9, 2019
- "The crinoid became Missouri's official fossil in 1989 after a group of Lee's Summit students worked through the legislative process to promote it as a state symbol", Missouri's Secretary of State official website
- "On February 22, 1985, a bill was passed unanimously, designating Maiasaura peeblesorum as Montana's official state fossil", A to Z USA by World Trade Press
- USA, State Symbols (October 5, 2014). "Mammoth State Fossil | State Symbols USA". statesymbolsusa.org. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- "Cenozoic fossils of Nebraska". eas2.unl.edu. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- "Hadrosaurus Foulkii ("Haddy") Information". Official website of the Borough of Haddonfield. Borough of Haddonfield. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- "The Story of New Jersey's State Fossil: Hadrosaurus foulkii". Official website of the Rutgers Geology Museum. Rutgers Geology Museum. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- "Nevada State Fossil | Ichthyosaur". May 28, 2014.
- "Nevada State Fossil: Ichthyosaur (Genus Shonisaurus)".
- "About New Mexico - State Fossil", New Mexico's Secretary of State official website
- "Coelophysis, the New Mexico State Fossil", at New Mexico Earth Matters, New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources official website
- "Fossil, Fossilized Teeth of the Megalodon Shark | NCpedia". ncpedia.org. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- "North Dakota State Fossil - Teredo Petrified Wood". State Symbols, State Fossil. Fossilera. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- "North Dakota State Fossil". statesymbolsusa.org. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- "5.071 State invertebrate fossil", Ohio Revised Code, retrieved February 9, 2021
- "5.078 Official fossil fish of the state", Ohio Revised Code, retrieved February 9, 2021
- "Oklahoma State Fossil | Saurophaganax maximus". statesymbolsusa.org. September 6, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Official State Fossil – Phaecops rana (PDF), Pennsylvania Legislature, December 5, 1988, retrieved September 28, 2021
- Rhode Island State Fossil: Trilobite - In 2022, Rhode Island designated trilobites (genus and species not stated) as the state fossil, published by Paleontological Research Institution.
- "2023 Rhode Island General Laws Title 42 - State Affairs and Government Chapter 42-4 - State Emblems Section 42-4-23. - State fossil". US Law, official publication. Justia.com. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- "South Carolina Fossil". WLTX. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
- "South Dakota State Fossil - Triceratops Horridus; In 1988, the South Dakota state legislature designated the dinosaur Triceratops horridus as their state fossil". State Symbols, State Fossil. Fossilera. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- "Tennessee State Fossil". statesymbolsusa.org. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- Utah State Fossil - Allosaurus Archived January 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine from pioneer.utah.gov "Pioneer - Utah's Online Library" page. Retrieved on September 8, 2008
- Vermont has both a state terrestrial fossil and a state marine fossil.
- "Vermont State Terrestrial Fossil". E Reference Desk. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Mammoth Tusk Discovered 1865". Brattleboro History. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- http://leg.wa.gov/Symbols/ WA State Symbols
- http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x112312085 Manchins signs bills involving snakes, fossils, research into law
- "Wisconsin State Symbols". State of Wisconsin. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2011.