Geological time is exceptionally hard to fathom. If you are like me, you probably have difficulty conceiving of a million years. The Earth is currently 4.543 billion years old. While this number is much smaller than the federal debt of most developed nations, it is still enormous. To help comprehend such large numbers we often […]
The Burgess Shale and its Place in Geological Time Read More »
Science magazine just published a great article about some of the newest Burgess Shale fossil finds in Kootenay National Park. In the above photo Jean-Bernard Caron shows off the “mothership,” an enigmatic Cambrian life form his team found this past summer. Click this link to go to the original article.
In 1984, UNESCO included the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (CRMPs) on its World Heritage List. This property consists of the following national parks: Yoho, Banff, Kootenay, and Jasper. As well as, the following provincial parks Mt. Robson, Hamber, and Mt. Assiniboine. The site encompasses a contiguous area that is 2,299,104 hectares in size. For a property
World Heritage Status and the Protection of Burgess Shale Fossils Read More »
Yoho National Park was established In 1886, as Canada’s second national park. This occurred only twenty eight years after the first European, James Hector, laid eyes on the area. The tiny Yoho National Park encompassed only 26 square kilometres at the base of Mount Stephen. The park was subsequently expanded four more times before the
The History of Yoho National Park and the Discovery of the Burgess Shale Read More »
In 2011, Emily Taylor, a hiker on one of our tours discovered a rare fossil of an organism now described as Ovatiovermis cribratus. There are only two known specimens of Oviatiovermis making it one of the rarest of the Burgess Shale species. Every year our clients find fossil at the Walcott Quarry and Mount Stephen Trilobite
Until recently, paleontologist have had difficulty deciding where the Habeliida taxa belonged on the tree of life. A recent re-description of the arthropod habelia optata places the Habeliida next to the Chelicerata. Horseshoe crabs, sea spiders, scorpions and spiders are all Chelicerates. Tree of life showing the relationship between Arthropods (Cedric Aria) For more information about the re-description of Habelia optata consult the
Habelia optata – The Cambrian arthropod with a ‘Jacknife’ head Read More »
Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, this bizarre creature swam the seas. The Capinatator didn’t have a face, but had 50 curved rigid spines that jutted out of its head. And when some unsuspecting critter came too close, those jaw-like spines snapped together and dinner was served. Click here to read the CBC’s article about the find.
Ancient, spiky-headed worm discovered at Burgess Shale Read More »
You can find out “what’s so amazing about the Burgess Shale” in the article that Crowfoot Media wrote about us here.
The passing of Murray Coppold was a shock to his friends and colleagues at the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. He was a long-time contributor to the Foundation in various activities such as editor of our newsletter Marrella and the author of “A Geoscience Guide to the Burgess Shale”. I knew him best from our collaboration,
Paleontologists Jean-Bernard Caron and Jean Vannier have recently examined specimens of Wapta fieldensis and revealed a parent carrying eggs with preserved embryos. Read the media release by Earth Magazine here.
Oldest fossilized embryos and oldest evidence of brood care Read More »