Marrella

Marrella is an extinct genus of marine arthropods from the Cambrian period, roughly 500 million years ago. Often called "lace crusts" because of their distinctive, delicate, and lace-like exoskeletons, they belonged to a group called trilobitomorphs. Marrella fossils have been found in famous sites like the Burgess Shale in Canada. They were small, benthic creatures that crawled along the sea floor, feeding on organic material. Despite their simple appearance, Marrella provides important insights into early animal evolution and the diversity of Cambrian marine ecosystems.