EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE. Advent of the Metazoans. Multicellular organisms begin to become common in fossil record of Neoproterozoic Fossils found on every continent Fossils are impressions of soft bodied organisms Metazoans are multicellular organisms the possess - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Multicellular organisms begin to become commonin fossil record of Neoproterozoic

Fossils found on every continent

Fossils are impressions of soft bodied organisms

Metazoans are multicellular organisms the possessmore than one kind of cell and cells are organized into organs and tissue.

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna – Rawnsley Quartzite – 630-570 myBPfirst found in Ediacara Hills of Australia

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Cyclomedusa

Jellyfish?

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Dickinsonia

Flatworms or annelids

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Spriggina sp.

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Charniodiscus

Sea pen or soft coral?

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Kimberella sp.

Mollusc?

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Parvancorina

Prototrilobite?

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

Parvincorina toTrilobite?

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Ediacaran Fauna

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Organisms with Skeletons - Proterozoic

Cloudina

Tube (CaCO3)-dwelling worm?

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAdvent of the Metazoans

Other Proterozoic Advances

Metazoan embryos (~570 myBP)Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation, China

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAnimals with Shells

Organisms with Skeletons – Paleozoic

Tommotian FaunaFound in SiberiaSmall shelly fossils

Shells are phosphaticPrimarily molluscs and

sponges

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

Organisms with Skeletons – Paleozoic

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFEAnimals with Shells

THE BURGESS SHALE Mt. Wapta, near Field, BC

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Part of the Cambrian Stephen FormationMt. Wapta, near Field, BCFirst studied by Charles D. Walcott beg. 1909

Secretary of Smithsonian InstitutionLater studied by Harry B. Whittington in 1960s

Geological Survey of Canada

Preserved as carbonized remainsMany soft parts preserved

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Walcott

Whittington

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Extraordinary assemblage of fossils

Four major groups of arthropodstrilobites, crustaceans, scorpions, insects

Sponges MolluscsOnycophorans CrinoidsThree phyla of wormsCoralsChordatesOrganisms that defy classification!

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Vauxia (sponge)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Olenoides (trilobite)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Sidneyia (arthropod)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Waptia (arthropod)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Opabinia (arthropod)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Haplophrentis (gastropod)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Wiwaxia (mollusc?)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals without Shells

Aysheaia (onycophoran or velvet worm)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals without Shells

Hallucigenia (?)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals Related to US!

Pikaia (Chordata)Notochord and V-shapedmuscles

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

Canadaspis (crustacean)

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals With Shells

Anomalocaris (crustacean)60 cm long

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals With Shells

Marrella (crustacean) most common Burgess Shale fossil

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

THE BURGESS SHALE

Animals with Shells

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFE

CHENGJIANG FAUNA

Animals With Shells

Lagerstätten [meaning "(fossil) deposit places" in German] are geological fossil deposits that are rich with varied, well-preserved fossils, representing a wide variety of life from a particular era.

These spectacular fossil deposits represent an amazing "snapshot" in time.

Ediacaran, Burgess and Chengjiang deposits are good examples.

EARLY PALEOZOIC LIFELagerstätten

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