Farewell Mastodon, Hello Stromatoporoid!
The stromatoporoid specimen that will soon be replacing the Hyde Park Mastodon at the Museum of the Earth.
April 1, 2022
PRI’s Hyde Park mastodon skeleton has captivated thousands of Museum of the Earth visitors over the past 20 years, but we have decided that the time has come for a major refresh of our exhibit space.
Later this month, we will unveil our new main attraction: A 13-cm-wide stromatoporoid fossil, Stromatopora, from Highland County, Ohio (PRI 43408).
Stromatoporoids were a type of layered, calcified marine sponge (Phylum Porifera). Even though they are now extinct, thousands of species are known from the fossil record. They were especially important as reef-building animals during the Silurian Period (444-419 million years ago), which is also the age of our new display specimen.
Asked to comment on our new star attraction, PRI paleontologist Dr. Jon Hendricks remarked, “I’ve seen a lot of Silurian stromatoporoid fossils and this is one.”
Even though stromatoporoids look like stromatolites and have a very similar name, they are very different types of fossils. Stromatolites are layered structures built by photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria and represent the oldest known fossils on Earth, dating back to 3.7 billion years ago. Stromatoporoids were layered animals and can be distinguished from stromatolites by their internal pillars, chambers, and bumps on their surface called mamelons.
PRI staff and volunteers disassemble the Hyde Park Mastodon to make way for the new stromatoporoid exhibit. A gold-plated steel pedestal is currently being fabricated to support the new arrival. A computerized LED lighting system will properly luminate the specimen.
Once the new exhibit is launched, our gift shop will be stocked with new stromatoporoid-themed T-shirts, pajamas, coffee mugs, magnets, and plush toys. We are also planning new stromatoporoid-themed birthday party events for families. Instead of cake, parties will feature stacks of pancakes, which look a lot like most stromatoporoids.
Even though our Stromatopora did not have a brain, we would like to think that it once enjoyed a happy, tranquil life in a warm, shallow marine setting. For too long, this specimen has been hidden away in a museum cabinet, brought out only once per year for the sponge laboratory in Cornell’s paleobiology course. We look forward to now giving this specimen the wider attention that it deserves by making it the new centerpiece of our museum. Please stop by and visit it soon.
Happy April Fools Day!
Note: The “disassembly” images above are actually from when the mastodon was being assembled in the Museum of the Earth over 20 years ago. This blog tells the story of this amazing fossil: The Hyde Park mastodon, 13,000 + 20 years later.
Additional Resources:
Digital Encyclopedia of Ancient Life: Stromatoporoidea.
PRI Store: Sorry, no stromatoporoids gifts available … yet.