Plumulina "Mystery Animal" Fossil

This fossil appears to be a plant stalk but is in fact a marine animal.  It is called the Plumulina plumaria of the Upper Devonian Period (approximately 380 million years ago). The fossil is on display at the New York State Museum in Albany, New York.  Researchers determined this was not a plant because remnants of proteins were found and not cellulose.

The museum display shows that this animal first appeared in the Hamilton Sea.  It is similar to modern colonial soft corals and hydrozoans.

Fossil was found the Ithaca Formation of Tompkins County, New York.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture and description.

New York State Museum

The New York State Museum was founded in 1836 as part of the State Geological and Natural History Survey.  According to their web site, over three quarters of million people visit each year and over 12,000,000 specimens in their collections. 

The museum has a rich history whose foundation was formed by geologists and naturalists of the 1800s (see their History of the Museum web site for details).  My cousin Kenny recently visited this museum and gave me some pictures he took.  He commented that it is an amazing place but the fossil displays had some areas of low lighting.  That being said, the museum has announced they have the designs finished for the updated natural history section of the museum.

New York state has lots of diverse fossil exposures.  The diversity of fossils allows the museum to have some great displays.  Here are some of them.

Cohoes Mastodon - Found 1866

Eurypterus

Eospermatopteris - early land plant Devonian

Colpodexylon deatsii - early late Devonian

Climactichnites fossil tracks - Cambrian

Nephriticeras - Devonian Hamilton Sea

Coelophysis of the Late Triassic

Billion Year Old Stromatolites

Mineral Gallery

Catellocaula vallata Borings

This interesting plate shows a fossil bryozoan with what appear to be trace fossil path on it.  The little cross or star patterns were thought to be an animal (tunicate?) known as Catellocaula vallata.   This specimen is from the Ordovician Kope Formation of probably Carroll County, Kentucky.  My friend Mary Ann found this and Kenny took the pictures.  It is a nice find.

Learn more at Bill Heimbrock's xFossils site with the particular page covering Ron Fine's fossils [see Item #2 on this page].