EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Multicellular organisms begin to become
common in fossil record of Neoproterozoic Fossil
s found on every continent Fossils are
impressions of soft bodied organisms Metazoans
are multicellular organisms the possess more
than one kind of cell and cells are organized
into organs and tissue.
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Rawnsley Quartzite 630-570
myBP first found in Ediacara Hills of Australia
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Cyclomedusa
Jellyfish?
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Dickinsonia
Flatworms or annelids
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Spriggina sp.
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Charniodiscus
Sea pen or soft coral?
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Kimberella sp.
Mollusc?
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna Parvancorina
Prototrilobite?
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna
Parvincorina to Trilobite?
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Ediacaran Fauna
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Organisms with Skeletons - Proterozoic Cloudina
Tube (CaCO3)-dwelling worm?
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Advent of the Metazoans
Other Proterozoic Advances
Metazoan embryos (570 myBP) Neoproterozoic
Doushantuo Formation, China
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
Organisms with Skeletons Paleozoic Tommotian
Fauna Found in Siberia Small shelly
fossils Shells are phosphatic Primarily
molluscs and sponges
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
Organisms with Skeletons Paleozoic
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE Mt. Wapta, near Field, BC
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE Part of the Cambrian Stephen
Formation Mt. Wapta, near Field, BC First
studied by Charles D. Walcott beg.
1909 Secretary of Smithsonian
Institution Later studied by Harry B.
Whittington in 1960s Geological Survey of
Canada Preserved as carbonized remains Many soft
parts preserved
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Walcott
Whittington
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE Extraordinary assemblage of
fossils Four major groups of arthropods trilob
ites, crustaceans, scorpions, insects Sponges M
olluscs Onycophorans Crinoids Three phyla of
worms Corals Chordates Organisms that defy
classification!
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Vauxia (sponge)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Olenoides (trilobite)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Sidneyia (arthropod)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Waptia (arthropod)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Opabinia (arthropod)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Haplophrentis (gastropod)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Wiwaxia (mollusc?)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals without Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Aysheaia (onycophoran or velvet worm)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals without Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Hallucigenia (?)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals Related to US!
THE BURGESS SHALE
Pikaia (Chordata) Notochord and V-shaped muscles
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Canadaspis (crustacean)
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals With Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Anomalocaris (crustacean) 60 cm long
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals With Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
Marrella (crustacean) most common Burgess Shale
fossil
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals with Shells
THE BURGESS SHALE
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Animals With Shells
CHENGJIANG FAUNA
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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE
Lagerstätten
Lagerstätten meaning "(fossil) deposit places"
in German are geological fossil deposits
that are rich with varied, well-preserved
fossils, representing a wide variety of
life from a particular era. These spectacular
fossil deposits represent an amazing
"snapshot" in time. Ediacaran, Burgess and
Chengjiang deposits are good examples.