Ottoia prolifica
Phylum Priapulida, Family Ottoidae
Geological Time: Early Cambrian (~520 million years ago)
Size: 40 mm long by 6 mm wide
Fossil Site: Burgess Shale, Stephen Formation, Burgess Pass, British Columbia, Canada
 This
is a member of the Burgess Shale priapulid fauna known as Ottoia prolofica.
It is divided into an anterior proboscis and a posterior trunk region.
The proboscis is seen here everted, with the hook-like spines which
it presumably used to capture prey  showing.
It is known to be a carnivore as examples have been found with several
members of the hyolithid Haplophrentis found in the gut. It is sometimes
found in a U-shaped orientation, presumably in its life pose (see
artist’s rendering). It is not believed to be closely related
to any other priapulid, and thus has been assigned to its own family,
the Ottoidae. |
