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Burgess Shale hikers at the discovery site
Burgess Shale
Hugh

The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 3): The Cathedral Escarpment

A spectacular submarine cliff over 100 metres high – the Cathedral Escarpment- marked the front of the algal limestones of the Cathedral Formation. The Cathedral Escarpment was initially thought to be a product of prolific algal growth and sediment accumulation during a period of sea level rise. A re-interpretation suggested

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Leanchoilia an arthropod, from the Qingjiang fossil site
Qingjiang
Hugh

Qingjiang biota: A Burgess Shale type deposit in China

The Qingjiang biota, a newly discovered fossil site in China, is a treasure trove for paleontologists studying the Cambrian explosion, when life on Earth suddenly and massively expanded in diversity about 500 million years ago. More than 2,000 specimens were found at the 518 million-year-old site, and half of those specimens

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Hugh Southee at Lake Louise with Mount Fairview in the background. The rock wall is Gog Group quartzite.
Burgess Shale
Hugh

The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 1): The Gog Group

The Gog Group underlies the Cambrian rocks where the Burgess Shale fossils are found.  Those of you not wearing a bathing suit and a life preserver would be ill prepared if you somehow found yourself in Yoho National Park in the Cambrian. Beginning in the Early Cambrian (~541 million years

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Adapted from Dr C Scotese Paleomap Cambrian 514 Ma
Burgess Shale
Hugh

Would You Rather Live in the Cambrian Than Present-Day?

The above Cambrian map is from Dr. C. Scotese’s Paleomap project. Note that Laurentia is the Paleo-Continent of North America. In other words, Laurentia is an early version of North America. The outline of present day North America is in white. It may be a little bit hard to recognize

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