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Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum) - is probably the weirdest animal that ever lived- the true story of the Illinois state fossil, how it was found and what it is.The Tully Monster was found not too far from Chicago, Illinois, in 1955, by fossil hunter Francis Tully. Its soft body was remarkably well preserved in the shale of Mazon Creek, near the coal pits of Braidwood, Illinois. But what is this weird creature? It lived 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous period, the age of ferns and coal, but did it leave any clues of what animals living today it resembles...

The mysterious Tully monster is not likely to have been a vertebrate - despite its hard cartilage ridged back - scientists claim, after discovering unusual elements within its fossilised eyes. Tullimonstrum, also known as the Tully monster, which lived 300 million years ago, has baffled scientists since fossils were first discovered 60 years ago. A previous discovery in 2016 found Tully to have a stiffened rod of cartilage that supported its body and gills - suggesting that the creatures were predatory vertebrates, similar to some primitive fish.