Equatorial Jungle

Not only is the Tully Monster's exact appearance a mystery, but how it earned a living is at question. Nothing like it has been discovered anywhere else in the world, except for the coastal deltas of the Coal Age in what is now Illinois. What made the Tully's home in this ancient land so distinctive that its fossilized remains are only found in Illinois?

North America was a very different place 300 million years ago. In fact, scientists contend that the world's climate during that time was the reverse of what it is today. It is thought that the Northern Hemisphere was warm, while the Southern Hemisphere was cold and covered with ice.

Illinois, located close to the equator, was covered in warm, shallow seas, swamps and river deltas. Vast, tropical swamp forests provided Illinois with a humid climate and an abundance of water, making it very hospitable for water-loving creatures such as the Tully. This watery, equatorial environment attracted all types of animals, including amphibians, bony fish, shrimp, jelly fish, and the Tully.

Unfortunately for the Tully, this lush, tropical climate didn't last. During the close of the Paleozoic Era, Pangea began to break up and the continents began to spread. This caused the seas to retreat and the swampy lands to dry. The breaking landmass steadily shrank toward each pole and the great swamps vanished. Many species found in shallow marine and aquatic habitats saw mass extinction.

The Tully lived only for a few million years before becoming extinct. However, as Illinois was transformed from an equatorial environment to its present-day climate of dry, fertile prairie land, the Tully never left its home.