the Burgess Shale

The Burgess Shale is a famous fossil site in Canada dating back around 508 million years, during the Cambrian period. It preserves a diverse array of soft-bodied marine animals that lived shortly after the rise of complex life. Because soft tissues rarely fossilize, the Burgess Shale provides a unique glimpse into early animal diversity and body plans, revealing many strange and primitive forms. These fossils have greatly enhanced our understanding of the early evolution of life and how complex organisms developed over time. The site is considered one of the most important discoveries in paleontology for understanding the Cambrian Explosion.