Discovered in Brechin, Ontario, this fossil of a marine animal is expected to be roughly 450 million years old. The fossil was found in the northeastern shore of Lake Simcoe and the creature is approximately the size of a human index finger. The discovery was published in the Journal of Paleontology on March 24.
The paleontologists announced the discovery of a well-preserved fossil of a Tomlinsonus dimitrii. The species is an ancient arthropod that lived roughly 450 million years ago during the Ordovician period. The name of this species was inspired by the Tomlinson Group. They were the construction company that dug up the fossil.
The creature dwelled on the sea floor in shallow oceans, which covered most of Ontario at the time. Goegoe Kampouris, the co-author said “we called it Paleo Pompeii, … Brechin has produced world-class fossils for over 100 years, but our work here has revealed the role of catastrophic storm events in the burial and preservation of entire animal communities at their final moments.”
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