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State Fossil and Shell

Single vertebra of the ancient toothed whale, Basilosaurus cetoides. These whales are Late Eocene in age (approximately 34 million years old).

Specimen from the Dunn-Seiler Museum.

Close up of single Basilosaurus vertebra, as seen in the original, physical exhibit in 2017.

Dunn-Seiler Museum specimen

CH9 Eocene Zygorhiza vertebra.jpg

Single vertebra from the ancient whale, Zygorhiza kochii.

Specimen from the Dunn-Seiler Museum.

STATE FOSSIL
PREHISTORIC TOOTHED WHALES

(Basilosaurus cetoides
& Zygorhiza kochii)

Designated as State Fossil in 1981.

The official state fossil of Mississippi was determined to be the ancient toothed whale, though there are two known toothed fossil whale species that have been found in Mississippi, both from the family Basilisauridae. Basilosaurus (a misnomer meaning “King Lizard”) could grow to be fifty-nine feet in length. Zygorhiza (“yoke-root”, referring to the shape of its teeth) could grow to be approximately seventeen feet in length. These species of whale are found in the Late Eocene (34 million years) sediments of Mississippi.

Recent Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shells.

Dunn-Seiler Museum #M246

Eastern Oyster bed along the US coast.

(Creative Commons)

STATE SHELL
EASTERN OYSTER

(Crassostrea virginica)

Designated as State Shell in 1974.

The American Oyster drives a multi-million dollar industry for Mississippi. This valuable economic resource of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has suffered greatly after reef habitats were damaged by the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and subsequently stressed by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Government efforts to rebuild damaged reefs and re-populate habitats with oysters appear to be improving the state of the industry.