Trilobite species Olenoides serratus, has been well studied since 1909 and is one of the most fully understood trilobites in the fossil record, due to the exceptional preservation of soft tissues (labile tissue) at the Burgess Shale. Now after over 100 years of studying the species, and half a billion years since its extinction, scientists […]
Gyaltsenglossus senis, is a newly described hemichordate from the Burgess Shale. It provides evidence on how the anatomies of the two main groups of hemichordates – enteropneusta and pterobranchia – are related. The enteropneusta and pterobranchia differ in body shape and in ecological function. However, DNA analysis of present day organisms suggests that they are
A 506 million year old hemichordate worm with tentacles Read More »
Tropical Fossils? The Burgess Shale fossils are found in the Canadian Rockies at a latitude of 51 North. However, the fossilized animals lived and died in the tropics. This change in latitude over time is the result of the slow action of Plate Tectonics. For the last 508 Million years the North America plate has
Tropical Fossils: The Burgess Shale Is Not Alone! Read More »
A mine. In a National Park. Inside a mountain. Not what you would expect but for over sixty years, zinc and lead where mined from within Mount Stephen and Mount Field in Yoho National Park. These mines were the only successful metal mines in the Canadian Rockies. Railway construction workers chanced upon lead-zinc ore in the
Cambrian Explosion The early Cambrian period marks one of the most spectacular evolutionary events in the history of life – The Cambrian Explosion. This was an explosion of life. Within ten million years, a very short period geologically, a host of hard-body and soft-body animals appeared in the fossil record. Trilobites, molluscs, chordates, cnidarians, brachiopods and
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 that the escarpment is the
The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 3): The Cathedral Escarpment Read More »
If you are booked to come on one of our hikes or are just interested in the Burgess Shale, here are some great Burgess Shale books to help you learn more. A Geoscience Guide to the Burgess Shale – This easy-to-read illustrated guide immerses the reader in the history, geology, environment and, most importantly, the
Burgess Shale Books: Where can I find more information on the Burgess Shale? Read More »
The picture above features fossil ridge, situated behind and to the right of the hikers; as well as, Mt Wapta, situated behind and slightly to the left of the hikers. The former is where the Walcott Quarry is located. Below we describe why fossil ridge and Mount Wapta have mudstone (shale) rocks lower down on the
The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 2): What Rocks Tell Us About Life Read More »
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 ago), sea levels rose and
The Geology of the Burgess Shale (Part 1): The Gog Group Read More »
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 because the continent is turned
Would You Rather Live in the Cambrian Than Present-Day? Read More »