The Cambrian Explosion

Part 1· ~5 min read

Biologists classify organisms into various groups. In this systematic classification, known as taxonomy, hierarchical categories are set out according to the various characteristics of organisms.

Part 2· ~9 min read

The differences between the creatures that suddenly appear in the Cambrian are enormous. In fact these differences are so large many of these animals are one of a kind. Nothing like them existed before and nothing…

Part 3· ~9 min read

The Cambrian is the oldest known period containing multi-celled organisms with very different and complex structures. The first rock strata belonging to this period were discovered in North Wales by the British…

Part 4· ~6 min read

Stephen Jay Gould studied the structures exhibited by life forms in the Cambrian explosion and considered Burgess Shale in his award-winning book Wonderful Life. He described the fact revealed by this important…

Part 5· ~7 min read

The Cambrian—between 543 and 490 million years ago—was regarded as the period during which Cambrian life forms appeared. However, the more fossils were studied, the more it became clear that these species came into…