1440 Outcrops of the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale can be found in British Columbia’s Yoho National Park. Charles Doolittle Walcott from the Smithsonian Institution discovered the Burgess Shale during a 1909 expedition. Because this site shows exceptional fossil preservation and records a unique diversity of animals, UNESCO designated the Burgess Shale as a World Heritage Site in 1981. <p>At the time the sediments of the Burgess Shale were being deposited, western Canada lay near the equator and formed the northern continental margin of what would become North America. At the edge of the <a href="#" onClick="OpenWindow('http://evolution.berkeley.edu/glossary_entry/glossary.php?word=continental+shelf','glossary',450,300); return false;">continental shelf</a>, a massive algal <a href="#" onClick="OpenWindow('http://evolution.berkeley.edu/glossary_entry/glossary.php?word=reef','glossary',450,300); return false;">reef</a> developed into a near-vertical cliff of limestone several hundred meters high, called the Cathedral Escarpment. Periodically, ocean currents would generate underwater landslides, called <a href="#" onClick="OpenWindow('http://evolution.berkeley.edu/glossary_entry/glossary.php?word=turbidity+flows','glossary',450,300); return false;">turbidity flows</a>, that would sweep up any animals in their paths and bury them along with the animals living in the deep water muds at the base of the cliff. <p>The hapless animals were completely buried in fine sand, silt, and mud. The turbulence forced fine-grained clay particles into every crack and crevice of the animals, outlining features rarely preserved in other fossils. Tightly packed in clay, the animals were protected from scavengers and from decomposition by bacteria. As a result, their complete forms along with details such as gut contents, appendage hairs, and antennae are often preserved, making these fossils extremely valuable to paleontologists.<p>Arthropods dominate the Burgess Shale fauna, although other fossils are found in great abundance, including worms, crinoids, sea cucumbers, chordates, brachiopods, and other organisms with no mineralized shell and no clear classification. Macroscopic algae and many unicellular organisms, preserved as microfossils, are also common elements of the Burgess fauna. Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada 1 Sarah Rieboldt, Judy Scotchmoor <i>Aysheaia pedunculata</i>, <i>Pikaia gracilens</i>, <i>Canadia spinosa</i>, <i>Choia carteri</i>, <i>Ottoia prolifica</i>, <i>Haplophrentis carinatus</i>, <i>Marrella splendens</i>, <i>Olenoides serratus</i>, <i>Anomalocaris canadensis</i>: &#169; Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Insitution (Chip Clark, photographer) 255 505 to 500 million years ago http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/85315_assemblage_slide_image1_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/33184_assemblage_slide_caption1_5_image. http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/76219_assemblage_slide_image2_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/24660_assemblage_slide_caption2_5_image. http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/83940_assemblage_slide_image3_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/40117_assemblage_slide_caption3_5_image. http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/60808_assemblage_slide_image4_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/58678_assemblage_slide_caption4_5_image. http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/75308_assemblage_slide_image5_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/36488_assemblage_slide_caption5_5_image.gif http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/66511_assemblage_slide_image6_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/6245_assemblage_slide_caption6_5_image. http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/28487_assemblage_slide_image7_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/96341_assemblage_slide_caption7_5_image. http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/1297_assemblage_slide_image8_5_image.jpg http://www.paleoportal.org/media/boilerplate/0/14261_assemblage_slide_caption8_5_image.gif October 29, 2003 at 05:46:52 November 8, 2006 at 15:20:14 Organizations Societies and Clubs 29 233 http://www.burgess-shale.bc.ca/ This non-profit educational organization provides an introduction to the fossils, geology, and history of research of the Burgess Shale, as well as details on how to get there and what to do. 0 Organizations Parks 34 236 http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/yoho/index.aspx This official site of the National Parks of Canada has information on the fossils and rocks of the Burgess Shale, where, when, and how to get to the park, what to see and do, and where to stay. 0 Organizations Parks 34 1565 http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/yoho/natcul/burgess.aspx One of the world's most important fossil finds, the Burgess Shale, is located in Yoho National Park of Canada. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1981, the Burgess Shale Formation contains the fossilized remains of more than 120 marine animal species dating back 515 million years. 0 Education and Exhibits Virtual Exhibits 30 235 http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/burgess.html Find additional information and links on the fossils and paleoenvironment of the Burgess Shale. 0 Education and Exhibits Virtual Exhibits 30 2491 http://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/en/index.php This visually stunning online exhibition from the <a href="http://www.rom.on.ca/" target="_blank">Royal Ontario Museum</a> and <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/" target="_blank">Parks Canada</a>, addresses aspects of history, research, education, outreach and visitor access to one of the most famous paleontological sites in the world. See amazing 3D animations, digital reconstructions and high-resolution images of the Burgess fossils. 1 Research and Collections Researchers 36 1305 http://www.discoverfossils.com The museum hosts the largest collection of marine reptile fossils in Canada and programs for all ages. The museum website includes fossil images as well as additional information about fossils, fossil collecting, and geologic processes. 0 Research and Collections Ongoing Research Projects 10 1543 http://www.rom.on.ca/en/collections-research/research/natural-history/burgess-shale-projects This page provides information on research being conducted at the Royal Ontario Museum on fossils from the Burgess Shale, with a list of recent publications. Links to press releases of important discoveries and podcasts are also provided. 0 Resources Field Guides 22 1456 http://www.geo.ucalgary.ca/~macrae/Burgess_Shale/ This site provides a description of the Burgess Shale and its stratigraphy, the Walcott quarry, and prominent fossil specimens (with photos) from this famous British Columbia locality. 0