Burgess Shale

The Burgess Shale fossils are often referred to as the "world's most significant fossil discovery" because not only were the usual, hard parts of the organisms preserved, but also the soft parts- such as the muscles, gills, etc. They're also over 500 million years old, and the fossils were in very good condition when found by scientists in 1909.

anomalocaris- the largest known Burgess Shale animal (as big as six feet), also known as "strange shrimp". 











wiwaxia- looks like a slug, but has two rows of spines and flat, overlapping shells.

hallucigenia- one of the smallest creatures of the Burgess Shale, with seven pairs of spines.


opabinia- has five eyes, a mouth under its head, and stuffed food in its mouth similar to how an elephant does.
*see video-- http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article//cambrian_06

waptia- small, shrimp like (not nearly as much information about it online....)


marella- most abundant of Burgess Shale animals, two spines, two pairs of antennae


http://paleobiology.si.edu/burgess/