Paleontology and geology

To date, no fossiliferous deposits from the Carboniferous through the Late Tertiary (Pliocene) have been discovered in Maine. This represents missing material rather than an actual absence of organisms from Maine during these times. Following the Devonian, Maine transitioned from a marine dominated setting to a fully terrestrial one. Because terrestrial environments are more prone to erosion than marine ones, the potential for fossil preservation within them is likewise reduced. Also, any post-Devonian remains that may have been deposited in Maine were later eroded during the glacial events of the Pleistocene. It is possible that a small deposit of fossiliferous material from this time period may exist somewhere in Maine, but to date, no such deposit has been found.