Worms from the Rocks: Burgess Shale Fossils Shed Light on Old Mysteries

This presentation by Dr. Karma Nanglu (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) sheds light on the event known as the Cambrian Explosion. Marking the rapid first appearance of most major animal groups in the fossil record, it is one of the most important biological events to have ever occurred. There is no better place to get a window into this over half-a-billion-year-old event than the Burgess Shale, a fossil site in the Canadian Rockies that has provided unique insights over the past century into the origins of animal life. One notable exception to this rule has been the early evolution of the marine worms known as hemichordates, which have historically had a poor fossil record. This talk will guide you through a series of recent studies using Burgess Shale fossils that shine a light on hemichordate origins, one of the most mysterious parts of the animal tree of life. These exceptional fossils reveal unanticipated combinations of morphological and ecological characteristics early in the history of this animal group, including surprising combinations of those found in their modern relatives.

Видео Worms from the Rocks: Burgess Shale Fossils Shed Light on Old Mysteries канала Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology