Burgess Shale Fossils

Burgess Shale Fossils in YOHO NATIONAL PARK, BC, shows the beginnings of life in fossil-bearing rock formations. In 1909 PALAEONTOLOGIST Charles Doolittle Walcott, while searching for FOSSILS, accidentally and literally stumbled upon a block of shale bearing the imprints of soft-bodied organisms. Most fossil remains result from the imprint of a hard structure (a shell or a skeleton) being preserved. This site, with its INVERTEBRATE fossil remains, is therefore unique.

Join Parks Canada staff on a interpretive hike of Burgess Shale, Yoho National Park (couresy Parks Canada). From You Tube.

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The fossils from Burgess Shale are more than 500 million years old. About 140 species of marine invertebrates have been discovered. They include sponges, sea worms and tiny "sea monsters" such as the 5-eyed Opabinia and the Hallucigenia with its 7 pairs of stilt-like spines and 7 tentacles. Many of these species are rare, resembling nothing else so far discovered in fossil sites. This is why the Burgess Shale was declared a UNITED NATIONS WORLD HERITAGE SITE in 1981.

The Burgess Shale: one of the greatest world discoveries about the origins and evolution of life. From Discovery HD and You Tube.

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See also FOSSIL ANIMALS; FOSSIL PLANTS; HISTORY OF PALAEONTOLOGY.

Author LILLIAN STEWART

Suggested Reading
E.G. Briggs, D.H. Erwin, F.J. Collier, The Fossils of the Burgess Shale (1994).

Links to Other Sites
Burgess Shale Fossil Bed
View selected Cambrian-age fossils from the Burgess Shale site in British Columbia. From the University of Calgary, Department of Geology and Geophysics.

Yoho National Park of Canada
This illustrated Parks Canada website describes the ecology, geography, and history of Yoho National Park of Canada

Royal Ontario Museum
The official website for the Royal Ontario Museum features illustrated guides to many of the museum’s collections and exhibits.

Deep Time And Ancient Life In The Columbia Basin
Fascinating accounts of early discoveries of the Burgess Shale fossils and other fossil beds in the Columbia basin region of BC. Authoritative information, excellent images and maps. A PDF file from the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation
This organization provides guided tours and educational programs at the Burgess Shale site. Includes a brief history of the region and photos of Yoho National Park and Burgess Shale fossils. From the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation.

Jigsaw complete for ancient predator
A brief illustrated description of the ancient arthropod Hurdia victoria. From newscientist.com.