Invertebrate Paleontology

A newly published scientific paper is highlighting a remarkable discovery from the New York State Museum’s paleontology collection: a 420-million-year-old fossil from the Silurian Period, identified as Naraoia bertiensis. This incredibly rare specimen is one of only two known fossils of its kind ever found from this era, offering groundbreaking insights into the evolution and distribution of early marine life. 

Naraoia were soft-bodied arthropods that once roamed the sea floor. During the Silurian Period, the region we now call New York was located south of the equator and submerged under a shallow tropical sea—ideal conditions for ancient marine ecosystems. However, due to their delicate, flexible exoskeletons, Naraoia fossils could only form under exceptional conditions, making discoveries like this exceedingly uncommon. 

The fossil was found on private property near Herkimer, New York, though the exact date of its discovery is unknown. Its presence in the Museum’s collection has now provided scientists with critical new data on the species’ geographic range and survival into the Silurian, long after its peak in the Cambrian Period. 

The study, titled Novel evidence for the youngest Naraoia and a reassessment of naraoiid paleobiogeography, was co-authored by Dr. Lisa Amati, New York State Paleontologist, along with researchers from the American Museum of Natural History and the Czech Republic. Their work highlights how even a single fossil can offer key insights into the history of life on Earth. 

This discovery also underscores the importance of museum collections in supporting cutting-edge research. Behind the scenes, Museum scientists continue to reveal hidden stories from New York’s deep past—stories that help us better understand the ancient world and the ever-evolving history of life on our planet.