The Ohio landscape features an abundance of fossils. In fact, fossils are found throughout the entire state and vary in age. They represent a great variety of ancient life forms from both the plant and animal kingdoms. These plants and animals represent terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments of all types—from shallow seas, to swamps, to lush forests.

Glaciated portions of the state are home to Ice Age fossils, including large mammals such as the American mastodon. Rocks in eastern Ohio hold ancient remains of plants and animals, including reptiles and amphibians. Southwestern and northwestern Ohio boast a wide variety of much older marine fossils, including the official state fossil Isotelus. The Cincinnati region lures paleontologists, fossil collectors, and rock hounds who seek, and have discovered, some of the best fossil specimens in the world. For more information on places to see and collect fossils, please visit the Fossil Collecting in Ohio web page.

Learn about a few of Ohio's common fossils below, or click the button to search the fossils species index.