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Prehistoric peepers give vital clue in solving 300 million year old 'Tully Monster'
Science Daily ^ | 4/12/2016 | University of Leicester

Posted on 04/13/2016 4:03:37 PM PDT by JimSEA

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.

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."

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: cryptobiology; evolution; fish; fossils; godsgravesglyphs; gregarium; illinois; paleontology; thetullymonster; tullimonstrum; tullymonster

It was a "fish" sort of. As a vertebrate, it might be somewhere in our family tree. Those eyes could have come in handy at poker.

1 posted on 04/13/2016 4:03:37 PM PDT by JimSEA
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To: JimSEA

Actually, it looks like a Trump supporter.


2 posted on 04/13/2016 4:06:46 PM PDT by JimSEA
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To: JimSEA

That’s because it’s more evolved than a Cruz supporter....


3 posted on 04/13/2016 4:09:25 PM PDT by nevergore
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To: nevergore

Your both wrong it is a direct descendant of the hilldabeast


4 posted on 04/13/2016 4:13:43 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: ronnie raygun

Nope...it wasn’t wearing a prehistoric pants suit....


5 posted on 04/13/2016 4:17:36 PM PDT by nevergore
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To: ronnie raygun
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.


6 posted on 04/13/2016 4:19:30 PM PDT by mbarker12474
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To: JimSEA

It got really, really big and moved into Loch Ness.


7 posted on 04/13/2016 4:22:20 PM PDT by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: JimRed

Nope. It got really, really big and moved into the White House, twice. Once in the 1990’s and then again in 2009.


8 posted on 04/13/2016 4:31:32 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: nevergore

No, it looks like Bernie Sanders - old, thought-to-be-extinct, shows his teeth a lot.


9 posted on 04/13/2016 4:46:05 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: JimSEA

I’m thinking with that long snout it was a bottom feeder, digging under the lakebeds and riverbeds for burrowing creatures. That could explain the eyestalks, which would allow it to keep its eyes above the muck watching for predators while it foraged.

Or it could have been an ambush hunter, burying itself on the bottom like an octopus, with just the eyestalks exposed to watch for prey, and using the snout to reach up and snatch anything that swam close enough.


10 posted on 04/13/2016 5:21:24 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman

Looking at it with your analysis, it seems quite likely you’ve got it.


11 posted on 04/13/2016 5:54:57 PM PDT by JimSEA
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

12 posted on 04/14/2016 3:06:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: JimSEA

I want a couple for my pool!


13 posted on 04/14/2016 3:11:32 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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This topic was posted some time ago, just an update or something.

14 posted on 04/01/2023 11:15:05 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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