Cambrian Fossils

Fossils of the Cambrian Period

541 - 485 million years ago

Phanerozoic Eon

A tour of life over geologic time and evolution as evidenced by the fossil record:
Precambrian Fossils I Cambrian Fossils I Ordovician Fossils I Silurian Fossils I Devonian Fossils
Carboniferous Fossils I Permian Fossils I Triassic Fossils I Jurassic Fossils I Cretaceous Fossils I Tertiary Fossils

Cambrian Life

Prior to the Cambrian life was small and simple. In the Cambrian Period, prodigious change occured, all in the oceans, as the land remained barren. Except for enigmatic forms, all modern animal phyla with a fossil record, except bryozoa, are represented in the Cambrian. Because some life became mineralized, the possibility of fossil formation greatly increased. Some phyla not represented in the Cambrian fossil record are nonetheless believed to have first appeared during this first period of the Paleozoic Era. Many extinct phyla with unknown relationships to other animals also appeared in the Cambrian. The ostensibly sudden appearance of very diverse faunas over a period of no more than a few tens of millions of years is called the Cambrian Explosion. A unique aspect of Cambrian is prevalence of lagerstätten, fossil sites exhibiting exceptional preservation, including preservation of soft tissue parts. The lagerstatten are paramount to science's understanding of the evolutionary origins of complex early organisms that contained the genetic building blocks of life on earth today.

Cambrian Fossils

Chengjiangocaris longiformis Rare Early Arthropod Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Wiwaxia Enigmatic Soft Bodied Animal Marjum Formation, Utah	Yunnanozoon lividum Earliest Hemichordata Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Vetulicola cuneata Extinct Phylum Vetulicolia Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China
Anomalocaris saron Grasping Appendage Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Xidazoon stephanus enigmatic Vetulicolian Chengjiang Maotianshan Shale	Redlichia Trilobite with Antenna Lower Middle Cambrian Maotianshan Shales Chengjiang, China	Marella splendens Arthropod Early Cambrian Burgess Shale British Columbia, Canada
Emeraldella Enigmatic Early Arthropod Weeks Formation, Utah	Ottoia prolifica Piapulid Worm Early Cambrian Burgess Shale British Columbia, Canada	Aglaspid Arthropod Aglaspida Weeks Formation, Utah	Cardiodictyon catenulum Phylum Lobopodia Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China
Modocia weeksensis Trilobite Order Ptychopariida Weeks Formation Millard County, Utah	Fortiforceps foliosa Great Appendage Arthropod Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Trilobites Death Assemblage Marjum Formation, Utah	Redlichia takooensis Trilobite Order Redlichiida Emu Bay Shale, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Peronopsis sp Order Agnostida Early Middle Cambrian Kaili Formation Guizhou Province, Chin	Elrathina cordillerae Trilobites Order Ptychopariida Walcott Quarry, Burgess Shale, British Columbia	Peronopsis interstricta Order Agnostida Wheeler Formation Millard County, Utah	Modocia & Agtnosid Trilobites Fossils Wheeler Formation Millard County, Utah
Lingulella chengjiangensis Early Brachiopod Order Linguilida Maotianshan Shales Chengjiang, China	Burgessia bella Arthropod Early Cambrian Burgess Shale British Columbia, Canada	Beckwithia typa Aglaspid Weeks Formation, Utah	Cotyledion tylodes Primitive Echinoderm Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China
Misszhouia Arthropod with antennae, gut and legs Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China	Kuamaia lata Phylum Arthropoda Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China	Stromatocystites Early Starfish Relative Middle Cambrian Jince Formation, Czech Republic	Wanneria sp. Trilobite Order Redlichiida Family Olenellidae British Columbia, Canada
Wutingasps tingi Trilobite Family Redlichiidae Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shales Chengjiang, China	Leanchoilia superlata Arthropod Early Cambrian Burgess Shale British Columbia, Canada	Hallucigenia fortis Lobopodian Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China	Albertella longwelli Trilobite Family Corynexochida Carrara Formation, Nevada
Crumillospongia Sponge Fossils Wheeler Formation Millard County, Utah	Chuandianella ovata Arthropod with antennae Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China	Naraoia compacta Arthropod Early Cambrian Burgess Shale British Columbia, Canada	Primicaris larvaformis Arthropod Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China
See Also: Cambrian Explosion Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Biota from the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan Province, China Cambrian Explosion Fossils of the House Range in Utah Fossils from the Burgess Shale Pioche Shale Formation