Cambrian Fossils (544 to 505 mya)

A short visual tour of how life has changed over geologic time as evidenced by the fossil record:
Precambrian Fossils I Cambrian Fossils I Ordovician Fossils I Silurian Fossils I Devonian Fossils
Carboniferous Fossils I Permian Fossils I Triassic Fossils I Jurassic Fossils I Cretaceous Fossils I Tertiary Fossils

Except for forms enigmatic forms, all modern animal phyla with a fossil record, except bryozoa, are represented in the Cambrian. Some phyla not represented in the Cambrian fossil record are nonetheless believed to have first appeared during this first period of the Paleozoic Era. Many extinct phyla with unknown relationships to other animals also appeared in the Cambrian. The ostensibly sudden appearance of very diverse faunas over a period of no more than a few tens of millions of years is called the Cambrian Explosion.

Chengjiangocaris longiformis Rare Early Arthropod Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Wiwaxia Enigmatic Soft Bodied Animal Marjum Formation, Utah	Yunnanozoon lividum Earliest Hemichordata Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Vetulicola cuneata Extinct Phylum Vetulicolia Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China
Anomalocaris saron Grasping Appendage Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Xidazoon stephanus enigmatic Vetulicolian Chengjiang Maotianshan Shale	Wutingasps tingi Trilobite Family Redlichiidae Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shales Chengjiang, China	Marella splendens Arthropod Early Cambrian Burgess Shale British Columbia, Canada
Emeraldella Enigmatic Early Arthropod Weeks Formation, Utah	Trilobites Death Assemblage Marjum Formation, Utah	Aglaspid Arthropod Aglaspida Weeks Formation, Utah	Cardiodictyon catenulum Phylum Lobopodia Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China
Modocia weeksensis Trilobite Order Ptychopariida Weeks Formation Millard County, Utah	Fortiforceps foliosa Great Appendage Arthropod Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China	Peronopsis interstricta Order Agnostida Wheeler Formation Millard County, Utah	Redlichia takooensis Trilobite Order Redlichiida Emu Bay Shale, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Peronopsis sp Order Agnostida Early Middle Cambrian Kaili Formation Guizhou Province, Chin	Elrathina cordillerae Trilobites Order Ptychopariida Walcott Quarry, Burgess Shale, British Columbia	Crumillospongia Sponge Fossils Wheeler Formation Millard County, Utah	Modocia & Agtnosid Trilobites Fossils Wheeler Formation Millard County, Utah
Lingulella chengjiangensis Early Brachiopod Order Linguilida Maotianshan Shales Chengjiang, China	Wanneria sp. Trilobite Order Redlichiida Family Olenellidae British Columbia, Canada	Beckwithia typa Aglaspid Weeks Formation, Utah	Cotyledion tylodes Primitive Echinoderm Maotianshan Shale Chengjiang, China
Misszhouia Arthropod with antennae, gut and legs Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China	Kuamaia lata Phylum Arthropoda Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, China	Stromatocystites Early Starfish Relative Middle Cambrian Jince Formation, Czech Republic
See Also: Cambrian Explosion Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Biota from the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan Province, China Cambrian Explosion Fossils of the House Range in Utah Fossils from the Burgess Shale