Virtual Sea Odyssey

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Descent

Observe the creatures who lived in the Burgess Shale community from a "virtual submarine".

Descent
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Vertical descent from sea surface to seafloor where most Burgess Shale organisms lived.

Animation by Phlesch Bubble © Royal Ontario Museum

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View Descent Descent
View Swimmers Swimmers
View Predators Predators
View Grazers Grazers
View Filterers Filterers
View Scavengers Scavengers
View Catastrophic Burial Burial
Click the icons below to learn more about the species in this sequence.

Anomalocaris

Anomalocaris

The largest predator of the Cambrian, first described in 1892

Hazelia

Hazelia

A very common sponge

Margaretia

Margaretia

A large tubular alga with numerous protuberances

Marpolia

Marpolia

A bush-like filamentous cyanobacteria

Marrella

Marrella

An abundant arthropod with large head spines

Nectocaris

Nectocaris

A squid-like predator with a pair of long tentacles

Odaraia

Odaraia

An arthropod designed like a submarine

Pirania

Pirania

A cactus-like sponge

Wapkia

Wapkia

Large elongate sponge with spicules arranged in plumose patterns

Waputikia

Waputikia

A rare and delicate alga with fine ramifications

Wiwaxia

Wiwaxia

An armoured slug-like organism