Louisiana fossils are similar to those found in other Gulf Coast states. There are many fossils of marine animals that lived during the Cenozoic Era, which began with the extinction of the dinosaurs and hasn’t ended yet. Such fossils commonly include corals, sponges, and mollusks. They also include petrified palmwood, Louisiana’s official state fossil, a symbol shared with neighboring Texas.
Fossils in Our Lives
A wealth of fossil fuels sets Louisiana apart from other states in the South. Petroleum and gas wells are common in a region that includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Geologists sometimes consider Louisiana a “South-Central” state rather than a part of the South.
Petroleum and gas are Louisiana’s most important mineral resources. In fact, Louisiana ranks second, after Texas, in the total value of its minerals industry. It is also second after Texas in the production of petroleum, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. They are mined mostly in the southern part of the state, with some oil wells offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Although fossil fuels are important to Louisiana’s economy, so is seafood and tourism. Louisiana is especially famous for its Gulf Coast shrimp fishery. Some people are worried about the numerous sea turtles that are accidentally caught and drowned in shrimp nets. Yet oil spills threaten shrimp and sea turtles both, along with other animals.
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
