▁but ▁during ▁the ▁C ret ace ous ▁evidence ▁points ▁to ▁a ▁shall ow ▁sea ▁covering ▁the ▁state , ▁which ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁cre atures ▁like ▁be lem n ites , ▁and ▁occasionally ▁din osa ur ▁car c ass es ▁which ▁had ▁was hed ▁out ▁to ▁sea ▁were ▁preserved . ▁ ▁Sea ▁levels ▁began ▁to ▁rise ▁and ▁fall ▁after ▁the ▁C ret ace ous , ▁and ▁occasionally ▁marine ▁in verte br ates , ▁b ony ▁fish es , ▁sh arks , ▁and ▁wh ales ▁were ▁preserved . ▁C en oz o ic ▁lim estone ▁is ▁common ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁rich ▁in ▁foss ils . ▁The ▁gra vel ▁and ▁mar l ▁p its ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁are ▁also ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁abund ant ▁foss ils . ▁Later ▁C en oz o ic ▁marine ▁life ▁included ▁the ▁giant ▁sh ark ▁meg al odon . ▁During ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ple ist oc ene ▁epo ch , ▁the ▁sea ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁state , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁m amm oth s ▁and ▁m ast od ons . ▁ ▁Early ▁significant ▁discover ies ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁include ▁C ret ace ous ▁re pt ile ▁foss ils ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁by ▁state ▁ge ologist ▁Eb enez ar ▁Em m ons . ▁During ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Confeder ate ▁coal ▁min ers ▁un cover ed ▁many ▁Tri ass ic ▁foss ils . ▁In ▁approximately , ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁the ▁state ' s ▁first ▁known