The Paleontology of North America

Invertebrates from North America

> Ediacaran Organisms | Sponges | Cnidarians | Arthropods | Molluscs | Brachiopods | Bryozoans | Echinoderms | Hemichordates and Chordates | Other Invertebrates

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Dictyoclostus sp.
Dictyoclostus sp.
© 1998 Dr. Richard Paselk, Humboldt State University Natural History Museum

Foerstiphyllum vacua
Foerstiphyllum vacua
© 1998 Dr. Richard Paselk, Humboldt State University Natural History Museum

Oligopygus wetherbyi
Oligopygus wetherbyi
© 2000 Tom Maier

What are Invertebrates? Invertebrates are multicellular animals without backbones. This very large group makes up 95% of living animal species, including such familiar organisms as insects, crabs, clams, and earthworms, as well as less familiar trilobites, brachiopods, and crinoids. Invertebrates dominate habitats as diverse as the deep sea, tide pools, coral reefs, rocks on stream bottoms, and soils. Although some invertebrates fossilize better than others, this group has a long fossil record, extending back to the Precambrian.

First known fossil occurrence: Precambrian.

Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.

Fossils through time:
Choose a time period to see what life was like:

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian