An astonishing set of rare fossils was discovered in 2003 by Wayne Myers of Spencer, NY in the process of unearthing several slabs of rock from the soil on his farm. He consulted Paul Krohn, an expert fossil collector and avocational paleontologist in the region, who identified the fossils as a colony of Uphantaenia chemungensis, a species of glass sponges of the Upper Devonian period (approximately 350 million years ago). The rocks contain spectacular impressions of a large number of these extinct marine animals.
The discovery culminated in the establishment by Myers of a permanent display, dedicated to Krohn, on his farm. In May 2003 Myers opened the display to the general public, and a large crowd turned out on a Saturday afternoon despite heavy rain.
Shown below is a photo of the fossils inside the display case, and below it is an overview of the case with some of the visitors who viewed the display after a welcoming ceremony.
