PUBLIC LECTURE
NOVEMBER 2ND, 2012 – 7:30PM OPT 347
A PALEONTOLOGICAL JOURNEY TO THE
BURGESS SHALE
Canada’s Burgess Shale is famous for its exquisitely
DEPARTMENTAL LECTURE
preserved fossils of soft-bodied animals that evolved in
NOVEMBER 2ND, 2012 – 1:30 PM PHYS 150
EVOLUTION’S BIG BANG: LESSONS FROM THE
BURGESS SHALE
the aftermath of the Cambrian Explosion, 505 million
years ago. Discovered in 1909 by Charles Walcott, this
UNESCO World Heritage site continues to be central to
our understanding of the roots of modern biodiversity
and modern ecosystems. In this talk, I will give an
overview of the Burgess Shale and the research
The “Cambrian Explosion” refers to the sudden
conducted by the Royal Ontario Museum through
appearance of animals in the fossil record around 542
a dedicated website developed by the ROM in
million years ago and is one of the most pivotal, and yet
partnership with Parks Canada (www.burgess-
surprisingly one of the least understood, evolutionary
shale.rom.on.ca). This website available in English and
events in the entire history of life. Arguably the best
French provides the most comprehensive and current
record of life following this event comes from the Middle
resource about the Burgess Shale to date. Last, I will also
Cambrian Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park, British
present some preliminary concepts for a new permanent
Columbia. This site is world-famous for its exceptional
gallery on Early Life at the Royal Ontario Museum. This
preservation of abundant and diverse soft-bodied
gallery is currently slated to open by 2014 and will cover
animals ranging from arthropods, chordates, sponges to
more than 3 billion years of evolution with the Burgess
worms - Most of these organisms would stand no chance
Shale playing a central part in this exhibit.
of being preserved in normal fossil deposits, i.e. those
which contain shelly remains only. Continuing
discoveries, in particular fuelled by new fieldwork
activities by the Royal Ontario Museum from the Burgess
Shale, help us to revise our understanding of Cambrian
life and the environments in which animals lived,
interacted, and ultimately were preserved. In this talk, I
will summarize our current state of knowledge about the
Burgess Shale and emphasize the critical role that these
fossils continue to play today in the study of bodyplan
evolution and the origin of modern diversity.
2012 SPEAKER
DR. JEAN-BERNARD CARON
CURATOR OF INVERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL HISTORY
ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
WWW.BURGESS-SHALE.ROM.ON.CA