Miocene Epoch

23 to 5 million years ago

The Miocene was a time of great change and marine life was diverse. In the oceans surrounding Florida, fossils of this amazing variety of aquatic life reveal a vibrant and changing network of habitats. From tiny mollusks to the enormous megalodon, Florida’s fossil record is rich with astounding specimens of early creatures. Explore some of the marine plants and animals of Florida’s Miocene:

painting of an underwater scene featuring a large ray with wide wings swimming above sea grass near an outcropping of coral with fish swimming above it
Florida Museum painting by Robert Barber

This painting was commissioned from artist Robert Barber for our Florida Fossils exhibit. Learn about the Miocene plants and animals represented:

Illustration showing underwater scene with each sea creature only a numbered shape
Painting key by Florida Museum staff
  1. Family Labridae (Wrasse)
  2. Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark)
  3. Squirrelfish
  4. Miltha chipolana (Chipola lucine)
  5. Trachyphyllia bilobata (open brain coral)
  6. Acropora species (staghorn coral)
  7. Orthaulax gabbi (Gabb’s conch)
  8. Siratus juliagardnerae (Julia Gardner’s murex)
  9. Siderastrea species (coral)
  10. Family Lutjanidae (Snapper)
  11. Dinocardium chipolanum (Chipola cockle)
  12. Chesapecten sayanus (Say’s Chesapeake scallop)
  13. Melongena sculpturata (sculptured crown conch)
  14. Sea grass
  15. Myliobatis species (eagle ray)
  16. Turritella subgrundifera (base-keeled turretsnail)
  17. Persististrombus aldrichi (Aldrich’s conch)
  18. Tellina strophia (twisted tellin)

Highlights

Shark Jaw showing rows of large teeth
Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

While megalodon is the famous extinct shark species, there are teeth of many ancient sharks in our Miocene fossil record. Some species are extinct, and some are still swimming in our oceans today. You might notice the wall of ancient sharks on display in the Florida Fossils exhibit, featuring species like this Miocene mako shark (Carcharodon hastalis, specimen # UF 118689).

Cartilage does not preserve well in the fossil record, and since shark are cartilaginous, most of what we know about them is from their teeth, which fossilize quite well. We also have been able to find and study shark vertebrae, which form growth rings somewhat like trees do. Scientists can learn information about an ancient shark’s life from these fossils. Read more about studying ancient sharks

 

Carcharocles chubutensis, specimen UF 247255. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo
Carcharocles megalodon, specimen UF UF/TRO 7123. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo
Carcharodon hastalis, specimen UF 3772. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo
Negaprion brevirostris, specimen UF 3245. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo
Negaprion brevirostris specimen UF 3245. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo


Explore more fossils

Chipola lucine, Miltha chipolana specimen UF 73000. Florida Museum invertebrate paleontology photo
Sculptured crown conch, Melongena sculpturata specimen UF 114310. Florida Museum invertebrate paleontology photo
Chipola giant cockle, Dinocardium chipolanum specimen UF 43052. Florida Museum invertebrate paleontology photo
Base-keeled turretsnail, Turritella subgrundifera specimen UF 42733. Florida Museum invertebrate paleontology photo
Eagle ray, Myliobatis species, specimen UF 278637. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo
Pristis specimen UF 121960. Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology photo

Note: Because our scientific knowledge is always expanding, some information like species names may have changed since the Florida Fossils exhibit was opened in 2004. The information on this page has been updated and may differ from the exhibit panel.

More

Video: Miocene Epoch

Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and Land exhibit

Florida Vertebrate Fossils online resource

Invertebrate Paleontology Collection: Image Galleries