Fauna
The Mazon Creek fauna has over 320 species of animals that have been identified. The fauna is divided into two components: the marine Essex fauna and the land and freshwater Braidwood fauna, that were washed into the deltaic sediments. The Essex fauna includes jellyfish, sea worms, snails, saltwater clams, shrimp, sea scorpions, cephalopods and fish. The Braidwood fauna includes insects, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, other arachnids, amphibians, freshwater fish, freshwater shrimps, freshwater horseshoe crabs and ostracods. The oldest known beetle has been described from the Braidwood fauna.
Three species of centipede have been described from Mazon Creek. They are known from around 60 specimens in total, and belong to three species:
- Latzelia primordialis (Scutigeromorpha)
- Mazoscolopendra richardsoni (Scolopendromorpha)
- Palenarthrus impressus (Scolopendromorpha)
Fossil centipedes are very rare, and Mazoscolopendra and Palenarthrus are the only known Paleozoic scolopendromorphs.
The most famous faunal member is Illinois' state fossil Tullimonstrum, known popularly as the "Tully Monster".
Read more about this topic: Mazon Creek Fossil Beds
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