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Name:
Tullimonstrum gregarium (Tully Monster)
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Carbondale Formation
Location: Braidwood, Illinois
Size: Tully is about 6 inches along curve
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This is a very enigmatic fossil. It is a large Tullimonstrum gregarium (Tully Monster) from the famous Mazon Creek fauna of Braidwood, Illinois. The Tully Monster was first found by Francis Tully in 1958 - at first, no one could identify it, and it was quickly dubbed the ''Tully Monster''. Tully monsters are unique to Illinois, and have been designated the official ''State Fossil of Illinois''.
The Tully Monster was a strange, soft-bodied animal which lived just off shore when the area of Illinois south of Braidwood was a shallow, tropical sea. The Tully was probably an active, swimming carnivore. It had a long proboscis, an ''eye bar'' that contained the senory organs, and a fluked tail. Our specimen is missing the proboscis, as are 99.9% of all Tullys ever found. However, the base of the proboscis is preserved, and the ''eye bar'' is very easily seen. The long, tubular body and fluked tail are also beautifully preserved. And one of the most exciting features of this fossil is that both halves of the concretion are intact and offered together. This is a very well-preserved example of one of the most enigmatic and localized prehistoric animals ever found.
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