Field season 2019 in British Columbia

August 20, 2019
Rosella_Gabriellus

Rudy and Javier from the Invertebrate Paleobiology Lab at Harvard, joined by John Paterson (University of New England, Australia) and Bob Gaines (Pomona College, USA), took off to Northern British Columbia in search for exceptionally preserved early Cambrian fossils. Some of the highlights included the stunning landscape, close encounters with the local wildlife, and a ton of fossilized arthropods! Olenellid trilobites dominate the assemblage in abundance and diversity, but some levels also contain clear indications of soft-tissue preservation in an unconventional marine depositional setting. The results of this season will produce a unique insight into the evolution of early animal communities during the Cambrian Explosion, so make sure to keep an eye on this space for updates! Our fieldwork was generously supported by grants from the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the William F. Milton Fund.

 

Rosella_fieldsite

 

Rosella_trilobite_bed

Photographs by Javier Ortega-Hernández