Description

Marrella Splendens (An arthropod)

500 millions years old

Burgess Shale Formation, Canadian Rockies, British Columbia

Size is about 2 inches matrix and weighs 36 grams.

Marrella splendens is an ancient arthropod that lived about 505 million years ago during the Cambrian period. It was found in the Burgess Shale Formation in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia. This small creature had a unique shape, with a head shield, long curved spines, and many body segments with paired legs and gills. It likely lived on the sea floor, feeding on dead material. First discovered in 1909, Marrella is important because it shows the wide variety of life that existed during the Cambrian Explosion and helps scientists understand early arthropod evolution. Marrella is one of the most common species in the Burgess Shale. Over 25,000 specimens have been collected (García-Bellido and Collins, 2006), and it is the second most common arthropod species in Walcott Quarry, comprising 7.3% of the specimens counted (Caron and Jackson, 2008).

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