Godzillus Fossil Mystery: 150-Pound, 6-Foot Fossil Stumps Scientists
Scientists have discovered a new fossil estimated to be about 450 million years old. The fossil has yet to be identified and is currently going by the name "Godzillus."
Experts are still puzzled after making a 150-pound, 6-foot tall discovery that has yet to be named anything but "Godzillus." Scientists are currently unsure of whether the find is an animal, mineral, or possible plant form.
"We are looking for people who might have an idea of what it is," Ben Dattilo, an assistant professor of geology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, told CBC News.
The 450 million year old fossil likely existed during the Ordovician era, which was largely marked by diverse marine life, although the fossil's age borders close to the extinction of that era. Paleontologists believe the extinction of the era was created by glaciation during a single isolated event, which resulted in the extinction of over a third of brachiopod and Bryozoan families.
The fossil was discovered in the Cincinnati region, an area that would have been subdued in water 450 million years ago. According to Carl Brett, a geologist at the University of Cincinnati, Godzillus is the largest fossil to ever be extracted from that region during the time period.
"This is the ultimate cold case," said Ron Fine, the amateur paleontologist who takes credit for finding and naming the fossil.
"Like Godzilla, it's a primordial beast that found its way to the modern era," told CBC. "Most fossils around here are small, the size of your thumbnail or your thumb. This thing's huge."
The best guess for what Godzillus is? Well, it's no fish according to UC geology professor David Meyer. After examining the fossil Meyer said "this thing is not boney. It is not a fish."
Perhaps a sponge Meyer suggested. "Cincinnati was covered by a sea, 100 to 200 feet deep," Meyer told CBC. "Primitive shellfish lived in it. But no fish."
