Cambrian Phyllocarid Fossil from Utah

Phyllocarids are one of the lesser know crustaceans from the Cambrian where they are among the earliest animals with a hard shell casing. They have a fairly large carapace, which shelters the anterior part of the body. This structure hinged along the dorsal edge like a bivalve. Usually only the carapace is found. Rarely are the soft parts preserved in the Cambrian shales of Utah. This specimen has unusually good contrast. This dorsal view shows the stabilizing arms of the animal.

Brooks, H.K., and Caster, Kenneth E. 1956. Pseudoarctolepis sharpi, N. gen., N. sp (Phyllocarida), from the Wheeler Shale of Utah. Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 30, No. 1 pp. 9-14.

Also See: Utah Cambrian Explosion Fossils