Burgess Shale

• 600 million years ago, life was found in the oceans
• The Burgess Shale is located in Canada
• The Burgess Shale represents the Cambrian time period
• The Burgess Shale represents a low-energy marine environment of deposition
• Opabinia was a nektonic soft-bodied organism with 5 eyes to detect predators and a long proboscis for searching through sediment for food
• Anomalocaris was a predator evidenced by its large mouth with sharp teeth, long branches on its head with spikes for catching prey, good eyesight, and efficient swimming abilities with flexible paddles along its body
• Predators could have led to the Cambrian Explosion of life because prey would have needed to develop defense mechanisms against predators, leading to the survival of individuals with protective mutations