Repost: Hurdia – Another cool Cambrian critter

It is not easy working on Cambrian fossils. The petrified treasures are found in only a few places in the world, and, even though many exhibit exquisite preservation, they come from a time when life on earth looked very unfamiliar. One creature extracted from the famous Burgess Shale, Anomalocaris, was a three foot long invertebrate that swam by undulating a series of lobes on either side of its body. At the front of its head were two spiked tendrils that may have helped situate prey items to be processed by the camera-shutter arrangement of crushing plates that was its mouth. There is nothing quite like it alive today.

Indeed, Anomalocaris was so unusual that it was misidentified

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet