State Fossil – Giant Beaver
The giant beaver became the state fossil in 2025.
The giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis) became Minnesota’s state fossil in 2025. The giant beaver, known as Ċapa in Dakota and Amik in Ojibwe, was the size of a small bear and is a distant relative of the modern beaver. The last-known giant beaver lived in North America about 10,150 years ago. At that time, it lived in waterways and lakes around the Twin Cities metro area and southern Minnesota. Nearly complete skeletons of the giant beaver have been found in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Source: Minnesota Science Museum