Date:

Prehistoric peepers give vital clue in solving 300 million year old ‘Tully Monster’

A 300 million year-old fossil mystery has been solved by a research team led by the University of Leicester, which has identified that the ancient ‘Tully Monster’ was a vertebrate — due to the unique characteristics of its eyes.

Tullimonstrum gregarium or as it is more commonly known the ‘Tully Monster’, found only in coal quarries in Illinois, Northern America, is known to many Americans because its alien-like image can be seen on the sides of large U-haul™ trailers which ply the freeways.

- Advertisement -

Despite being an iconic image — a fossil with a striped body, large tail, a pair of stalks terminating in dark, oval-shaped ‘blobs’ and a large elephant trunk-like proboscis at the head end which has a pincer-like claw filled with teeth — it is a complete mystery as to what kind of extinct animal it was.

Professor Sarah Gabbott from the University of Leicester’s Department of Geology said: “Since its discovery over 60 years ago scientists have suggested it is a whole parade of completely different creatures ranging from molluscs to worms — but there was no conclusive evidence and so speculation continued.”

Thomas Clements, a PhD student from the University of Leicester and lead author on the paper, explained: “When a fossil has anatomy this bizarre it’s difficult to know where to start, so we decided to look at the most striking feature — the stalked structures with dark blobs.”

This proved to be the vital clue the team needed to solve the mystery.

- Advertisement -

In a new study published in Nature, the University of Leicester palaeontologists, along with colleagues at the University of Bristol and the University of Texas in Austin, discovered that the dark ‘blobs’ were actually made up of hundreds of thousands of microscopic dark granules, each 50 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

The shape and chemical composition of these granules is identical to organelles found in cells called melanosomes; these being responsible for creating and storing the pigment melanin.

Dr Jakob Vinther (University of Bristol) said: “We used a new technique called Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to identify the chemical signature of the fossil granules and compared it to known modern melanin from crows and this proved that we had discovered the oldest fossil pigment currently known.”

Thomas added: “Nearly all animals can produce the pigment melanin. It’s what gives humans the range of skin and hair colours we see today. Melanin is also found in the eyes of many animal groups where it stops light from bouncing around inside the eyeball and allows the formation of a clear visual image.”

Identifying fossil melanosomes containing melanin and a lens is the first time it has been conclusively proved that Tullimonstrum had eyes on stalks.

When the team looked closer at the melanosomes they made another exciting discovery.

Professor Gabbott said: “There were two distinct shapes of melanosomes in Tullimonstrum‘s eyes: some look like microscopic ‘sausages’ and others like microscopic ‘meatballs’. This evidence was crucial because only vertebrates have two different shapes of melanosome, meaning that unlike previous researchers that thought that Tullimonstrum was an invertebrate (animal without a backbone), this is the first unequivocal evidence thatTullimonstrum is a member of the same group of animals as us, the vertebrates.”

Thomas added: “This is an exciting study because not have we discovered the oldest fossil pigment, but the structures seen in Tullimonstrum‘s eyes suggest it had good vision. The large tail and teeth suggest that the Tully Monster is in fact a type of very weird fish.”

UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER

- Advertisement -
spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Archaeologists find traces of two substantial Medieval structures

Excavations by the Huttons Ambo History Group and Ethos Heritage CIC have uncovered traces of two substantial Medieval structures at Huttons Ambo in North Yorkshire, England. 

Skeletal remains of Franklin expedition crew member identified

Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University have identified the skeletal remains of James Fitzjames who served on the HMS Erebus during Sir John Franklin's 1845 Northwest Passage expedition.

New findings at Europe’s oldest battlefield

Archaeologists studying 13th century BC bronze and flint arrowheads from the Tollense Valley in northeastern Germany have uncovered the earliest evidence of large-scale interregional conflict in Europe.

Previously unknown Neolithic culture uncovered in Morocco

Archaeologists excavating the site of Oued Beht in Morocco have uncovered a previously unknown farming culture from the Neolithic period.

Stone head from Roman period found at Carlisle dig

Archaeologists from the “Uncovering Roman Carlisle” project have found a carved stone head during excavations of the Carlisle Cricket Club in Carlisle, England.

Sacred church for Saint Theodosius of Turnovsky uncovered in Bulgaria

Archaeologists from the Regional History Museum-Veliko Tarnovo have uncovered traces of a church from the monastery of Saint Theodosius of Turnovsky.

Roman chariot discovered in necropolis mound

A team of archaeologists from the Regional History Museum in Varna have discovered the remains of a Roman chariot during excavations of a necropolis mound on the route of a planned gas pipeline in Bulgaria’s Varna Province.

Ceremonial objects unearthed in ritual pit

Archaeologists have unearthed a ritual pit containing ceremonial objects during excavations at Solnitsa in the Varna region of Bulgaria.