BURGESS
SHALE GALLERY
BURGESS
SHALE GALLERY
A VIRTUAL GUIDED TOUR:
HALF A BILLION YEARS AGO -- THE "WEIRD WONDERS" OF THE BURGESS SHALE
Strange-looking plants and animals lived and died on a landmass which lay on the tropical equator. Today, that landmass is now the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
They are now considered some of the first complex life forms on this planet, and are called the animals of the Burgess Shale.
After studying them for many years, I decided to go to the Canadian Rockies myself to learn more. Here are some pictures of Field, British Columbia, and of the fossils themselves.
The Cambrian Period in geologic time had a warmer climate, and so did North America. Of course, it was lying on its side on the equator back then!
One professor even brought Burgess Shale toys!
