However, there are other creatures in the natural world that also become obvious as the snow melts. These creatures which are often overlooked are our local fossils. Since these animals are extinct, we cannot observe them in their natural setting, but they can provide an interesting glimpse into what life was like millions of years ago. In central Pennsylvania, we are very fortunate that several times between about 500 million and 245 million years ago this area was covered in water as part of a warm shallow ocean. This tropical ocean was home to an amazing variety of marine life, and a few of these species have been preserved as fossils.
Brachiopods are a very common local fossil.
They look somewhat like modern clams or oysters, but their anatomy was very different. They attached themselves to the ocean floor and pumped water through their bodies and extracted nutrients. Crinoids are another common type of fossil found in this area. These filter feeding animals often attached themselves to the sea floor. Some relatives of ancient crinoids are still alive today living in shallow nearshore marine environments.