Ancient trilobite limbs reveal unique walking and burrowing abilities in prehistoric seas

Ancient trilobite limbs reveal unique walking and burrowing abilities in prehistoric seas

The Burgess Shale in British Columbia is renowned for its exceptional preservation of soft tissues in fossils, including limbs and guts. While trilobites are abundant in the fossil record thanks to their hard exoskeleton, their soft limbs are rarely preserved and poorly understood. However, Olenoides serratus, a particularly abundant and well-preserved Burgess Shale trilobite, offers a unique opportunity to study these appendages.

Tracing Ancient Arthropods in Motion: Decoding the Hidden Gaits of Burgess

In the depths of British Columbia lies the Burgess Shale, a geological formation famed for its unparalleled preservation of ancient life, offering scientists a stunning glimpse into the distant past. Among the extraordinary fossils unearthed here, the trilobite Olenoides serratus stands out as a remarkable specimen, boasting preserved soft tissues such as limbs and antennae—a […]