In Depth Similar to the more famous Wiwaxia, Orthrozanclus was a bottom dwelling oceanic organism that lived during the Cambrian. Orthrozanclus had sclerite scales along the body, and larger spines that rose up from the spines possibly for defence. Orthrozanclus is thought to have scoured the microbial mat of the sea floor for food. Further … Read more
In Depth Molaria is a genus of arthropod that lived around North America during the Cambrian. Further Reading - Middle Cambrian Branchiopoda, Malacostraca, Trilobita and Merostomata. - Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 57: 145–228. - C. D. Walcott - 1912. - Rare Arthropods from the Burgess Shale, Middle Cambrian, British Columbia. - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal … Read more
In Depth Archiasterella is a genus of primitive animal that lived during the Cambrian. Further Reading - Unter- und mittelkambrische Porifera (Chancelloriida und Hexactinellida). Palaeontologische Zeitschrift 43(3/4):115-147. - K. Sdzuy. - 1969.
In Depth The easiest way to describe Chimerarachne is as a spider with a tail, a tail similar to those seen in some whip scorpions. However, most researchers agree that while Chimerarachne looks similar to a spider it probably wasn’t a ‘true’ spider. Instead, Chimerarachne represents group of arachnids that might have had a shared … Read more
In Depth Wiwaxia was originally described back in 1899 by W. D. Matthew. However this description was based upon just one of the dorsal spines that rise up from the back of Wiwaxia, something that was realised in 1911 when more complete specimens were discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott. However in Doolittle’s description, Wiwaxia was … Read more
In Depth Sinotubulites is a genus of aquatic sea creatures that lived with mineralised tube-shaped shells during the Ediacaran. Further Reading - Tube structure and original composition of Sinotubulites: shelly fossils from the late Neoproterozoic in southern Shaanxi, China. - Lethaia 41 (1): 37. - Z. Chen, S. Bengtson, C. -M. Zhou, H. Hua & … Read more
In Depth Allonnia is a genus of coeloscleritophoran that had a near global distribution. Further Reading - Shelly Fossils from the Early Cambrian (Toyonian) Wirrealpa, Aroona Creek, and Ramsay Limestones of South Australia. - Journal of Paleontology 67 (5): 758–787. - G. A. Brock & B. J. Cooper - 1993. – New well-preserved scleritomes of … Read more