What is a Burgess Shale fossil?
The Burgess Shale is a fossil-bearing deposit exposed in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils. At 508 million years old (middle Cambrian), it is one of the earliest fossil beds containing soft-part imprints.
What was found in the Burgess Shale?
The Burgess Shale contains the best record we have of Cambrian animal fossils. The locality reveals the presence of creatures originating from the Cambrian explosion, an evolutionary burst of animal origins dating 545 to 525 million years ago. During this period, life was restricted to the world’s oceans.
Can you take fossils from Burgess Shale?
Please be aware that it is illegal to remove fossils from all Burgess Shale locations. Violators are regularly prosecuted.
What is so special about the Burgess Shale fossil beds?
The Burgess Shale fossils provide the link between modern day species and those from over 500 million years ago. These fossils are so important that they have been recognized as a key part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.
What type of rock is Burgess Shale?
Burgess Shale, fossil formation containing remarkably detailed traces of soft-bodied biota of the Middle Cambrian Epoch (520 to 512 million years ago).
How was Burgess Shale created?
Sediment flowing into the sea buried both dead and living animals. As more and more sediment accumulated, the organisms were compressed and fossilized. As this process repeated, the layers of fossils now found in the Burgess Shale were created.
How old are Burgess Shale fossils?
More than half a billion years old, the fossils of the Burgess Shale preserve an intriguing glimpse of early life on Earth. They were first discovered in 1909 by Charles D. Walcott, then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
Can you visit Burgess Shale?
Traveling to the Burgess Shale requires a plane ticket, a guide, and the legs and lungs to hike high into the Canadian Rockies. Fly into Calgary, rent a car and drive west through Banff National Park to Yoho National Park. You will need to buy a Parks Canada pass at the entrance station on your way into Banff.
Why is it called Burgess Shale?
They were first discovered in 1909 by Charles D. Walcott, then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. This group of fossils takes its name from the Burgess Shale rock formation, named by Walcott after nearby Mount Burgess in the Canadian Rockies.
Where can you see Burgess Shale fossils?
Yoho National Park
Burgess Shale Location The Burgess Shale is located in Yoho National Park, near the town of Field, BC. Field is less than an hour drive from Banff, AB. The sites that we guide to are located on two mountains that are adjacent to the town of Field.
Why is the Burgess Shale so well preserved?
The Pomona researchers propose that the soft tissues are so well preserved because microbial activity in the sediments was inhibited early on by means of oxidant deprivation.
How old is the Burgess Shale?
520 to 512 million years ago
Burgess Shale, fossil formation containing remarkably detailed traces of soft-bodied biota of the Middle Cambrian Epoch (520 to 512 million years ago).
Can you visit the Burgess Shale?
It is not possible to visit the Burgess Shale located here on your own – the area is only accessible on a guided hike led by Parks Canada or the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. The hike to Walcott Quarry begins at Takakkaw Falls, a spectacular 373m waterfall.
Who discovered Burgess Shale?
Charles Doolittle Walcott
The fossils of the Burgess Shale, like the Burgess Shale itself, formed around 505 million years ago in the Mid Cambrian period. They were discovered in Canada in 1886, and Charles Doolittle Walcott collected over 65,000 specimens in a series of field trips up to the alpine site from 1909 to 1924.