▁F oss ils ▁are ▁common ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁According ▁to ▁author ▁R uf us ▁Johnson , ▁" al most ▁every ▁major ▁river ▁and ▁cre ek ▁east ▁of ▁Inter state ▁ 9 5 ▁has ▁expos ures ▁where ▁foss ils ▁can ▁be ▁found ". ▁The ▁foss il ▁record ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁sp ans ▁from ▁E oc amb rian ▁remains ▁that ▁are ▁ 6 0 0 ▁million ▁years ▁old , ▁to ▁the ▁Ple ist oc ene ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁About ▁ 6 0 0 ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁was ▁covered ▁by ▁a ▁warm ▁shall ow ▁sea ▁that ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁cor als , ▁jel ly fish , ▁and ▁P ter id in ium . ▁This ▁sea ▁remained ▁in ▁place ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Pale oz o ic ▁era ▁and ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁marine ▁life ▁forms , ▁like ▁those ▁that ▁left ▁the ▁trace ▁foss il ▁Sk ol ith os . ▁The ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Pale oz o ic ▁is ▁missing ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁rock ▁record . ▁By ▁the ▁Tri ass ic , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁had ▁a ▁terrest rial ▁environment ▁where ▁the ▁local ▁bodies ▁of ▁fresh water ▁were ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁in verte br ates ▁and ▁fish es ▁while ▁con if ers ▁and ▁cy c ads ▁grew ▁on ▁land . ▁Din osa urs ▁and ▁other ▁kinds ▁of ▁pre histor ic ▁re pt iles ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁Jur ass ic ▁is ▁missing ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁rock ▁record ,