ANDREW YOUNG ART
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Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna

Tully Monsters, and "Y" and "H" Animals


The "Tully Monster"

In 1955, a Lockport, IL, pipefitter, Francis Tully, brought a puzzling Pit 11 find to George Langford and Dr. Richardson at the Field Museum. Richardson, equally perplexed, called the discovery a “monster.” The name stuck and it was published as such: Tullimonstrum gregarium. At the time of description in 1966, critical evidence for assigning it to a specific phylum was missing or not understood. It was thought to be an annelid worm, or possibly even a shell-less swimming mollusk. However, for 60 years it remained a complete mystery!

The Tully Monster is found only in Illinois and in 1989, it became the State Fossil. Since then, it has only further captured the public’s imagination.

A study led by Yale University (McCoy et al.), in cooperation with the Field Museum, the Burpee museum and others, looked at over 1200 specimens with state-of-the-art technology. In 2016, sixty years after it was first discovered, the Tully finally has a definition. It is a jawless fish on the lineage of lampreys and hagfish.
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Tullimonstrum gregarium - Richardson, 1966

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       Tullimonstrum gregarium, Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP365807.1 and VP365807.2 (positive and negative halves)

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         Field Museum collection PE 81597 (T.Testa)
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                                                                                 J.Wittry collection

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                  Tullimonstrum gregarium, Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP367558.1-2 (positive and negative halves)

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                                                                               Field Museum collection

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                  Tullimonstrum gregarium, Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP366199.1-2 (positive and negative halves)

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                                                                                     Field Museum collection
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                                                  Tullimonstrum gregarium, Pit 11, Braidwood, IL - A.Young collection

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                                                         Above and below: Chicago Academy of Sciences collection
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                                                   Tullimonstrum gregarium, Pit 11, Braidwood, IL - A.Young collection
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                                            Tullimonstrum gregarium, Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP366202.1
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                                                     Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois (ESCONI) member collection
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                                               Tullimonstrum gregarium, Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP25859
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                                        A juvenile Tullimonstrum gregarium with strange preservation - R.Rock collection

Tullimonstrum  proboscis and "claw"

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                  Tullimonstrum gregarium, detail showing claw with teeth - Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP26070.1-2 

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Field Museum collection

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                                                Tullimonstrum gregarium - Milwaukee Public Museum collection VP36208
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               Tullimonstrum gregarium, proboscis with claw - J.Wittry collection, Figure 150.1 The Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna 2012                   

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                                Above and below: Tullimonstrum gregarium, showing proboscis and claw - R.Rock collection
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Tullimonstrum  eye-bar

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                           Tullimonstrum gregarium, Milwaukee Public Museum VP366211.1-2 (positive and negative halves)

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                                                                                                                             Field Museum collection

Tullimonstrum tail

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                     Tullimonstrum gregarium tail section showing muscle banding, Pit 11, Braidwood, IL - A.Young collection

Incertae sedis - "Y" animal

Escumasia roryi - Nitecki and Solem, 1973

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                Escumasia roryi, showing (eye?) pigment at the end of each arm, MPM P360288.1-2 (positive and negative halves )
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                                                                   Milwaukee Public Museum collection P360292

Hydrozoan - "H" animal

Etacystis communis - Nitecki and Schram, 1976

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                         Etacystis communis - Milwaukee Public Museum collection P2198.1-2 (positive and negative halves)
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                                                                          MPM P26274.1
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                  Etacystis communis - R.Rock collection

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Copyright © 2020 Andrew Young. All rights reserved.
  • News
  • Work
    • mixed media/collage
    • recent sculpture
    • watercolor/drawing
    • works on metal and wood
    • egg tempera on panel
    • edition prints/monotypes
    • early work
    • photography
    • exhibition views
    • selected collections
  • Bio
    • narrative bio
    • resume
    • artist statements
    • process
    • scrapbook
  • Press
    • catalog essays
    • reviews
    • interviews
  • Projects
    • selected projects
    • project images
    • mazon creek fossils
    • herrin fossil flora
  • Contact
    • contact the artist
    • catalogs for sale
    • available artworks