A major mystery of paleontology
Object of the Month: 01/2015
What is it?:Tullimonstrum gregarium
Origin:
Pennsylvanian Age
Age: About 300 million years
Where was it collected:
Grundy County, Illinois
Dimensions:
Range from 36 to 340 millimeters
What is it made of?:
Ironstone concretion
Accession #: SMM P71.17.1
A model of Tullimonstrum (left) and a concretion impression give us views of what this ancient sea creature looked like.
What can this be? It’s a question that still puzzles paleontologists. Tullimonstrum was a worm-like or snail-like creature. We do know that this sea-living creature dates back some 300 million years. The fossil impression you see here came from the coal shale of Illinois.
The accompanying full-body model shows some strange features of Tullimonstrum. Its eyes are located on the ends of stalks on either side of its body. It had a long proboscis, like an elephant’s trunk, with small teeth at the end to capture prey. The proboscis delivers the prey to the mouth located in the middle under belly of the creature. It swam about powered by its squid-like tail.
The brown fossilized impression is preserved in an ironstone concretion of delta sediments that formed around the animal shortly after it died and settled to the bottom of the sea. The impression shows only the lower proboscis and upper torso of the creature. It's estimated length is 170 millimeters. This specimen shows Tullimonstrum's underside with the bar organ containing optic nerves and the left stalk of the eye structure. The tail is missing.
The drawing on the left depicts how the creatures likely lived in open ocean water near shore and aquatic plants. Tullimonstrum was preyed on by bony fishes and sharks.
Feeling creative? Try writing your own label to explain Tullimonstrum to other museum visitors in the box below.
it looks like a cobra and a fish mixed together
GLORIFIED LAMPREY.
it is an aquatic animal that lived 300 million years ago
I THINK IT IS A EEIOSAURUS
The nose is like one of an aardvark and the eyestalks like a snail, otherwise it looks like a squid with one tentacle.
It looks weird and the way that its eyes are on stalks. I think it ate seaweed and small fish. I like the feature of its squid like tail. I would not like to eat it because it would be slimy and crunchy. I wonder if it has a shell like you know how some fish have a potective layer. It is very small and I think a lot of other creatures ate it. It may have been fast.
it looks like a fish a weird fish
IT IS A LEECH
IT LOOKS LIKE A SNAKE LIZARD.
PREHISTORIC GEICO INSURANCE MASCOT
It looks like stingray
It looks like a cobra and a lizard who livesin the grass
It looks like it came from a childs worst fear with the smallness of it but the eyes are sticking out and look scary, plus probally having lots of preadators, it could swim fast and come and get you! Duhn, Duhn, Duhn!
This interesting aquatic creature may possibly be related to both Angler Fish and eels which would exlain some of it's characteristics/physical features and may perhaps have acted much the same way. For example, it's proboscis may have served much like the Angler Fish's lure appendage enchanting prey to come close enough for it to "pounce" and enjoy. Also it's physical appearance being somewhat similar to an eel may have helped it glide swiftly through strong currents.
Its not a leech
A Swimming Snail?
300 million years ago, this mysterious creature roamed the seas. Its nose is like an elephant's trunk, and its tail is like a squid--it's a Tullimonstrum!
they are sometimes big
I wonder who found the specimen. It's truly amazing. The squid-like tail and the odd eyes make it kinda look like an alien. But don't get me wrong, this could be the discovery of the century.
Looks like snake and a dinosaur together
It looks like a worm mixed with a lizard! IT IS WEIRD
its mouth was on the bottom!
IT LOOOKS REALLLY COOL I THINK IT MIGHT BE RELTED TO SEAHORSE
I think it could be the begining of a salamander or a newt.
It kind of looks like a swordfish with flippers in the back.
It's feet look like monster eye-balls.
In my opinion this looks like a fsh mixed with a gecko.
leaf creature??????
i thingk it is a eel
i think they look like (1)a rock (2) a cobra mixed with a eel.
It looks like a newt and an eel combined.
I think it fed on cril like whales and ate lots like a bat
the eyes on the sige are/were for the nimal to use like a hamerhead shark.
Scientist discover this fascinating 300 million year old aquatic creature, in Grundy County Illinois. Identical to a blood sucking leech, this snail like creature preyed on bony fishehs and sharks and is made out of ironstone concretion.
The tullimonstrum gregarium it is a interesting animal. also a peculiar anmal
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