Description
Just look at the detail in this plate collected and cleaned by World Famous Fossil Expert, Markus Martin.
This is a museum quality Burgess Shale Type Ottoia from the Wheeler Shale of Millard County Utah. This is a great fossil that exhibits superb detail right down to the bulbous head and spines. Please look closely at the exquisite detail.
Here is an epic Burgess Shale Type Ottoia fossil from the Cambrian Period. They lived, thrived, and became extinct Millions of years before the age of dinosaurs! We call this Burgess SHALE TYPE because they are not found in the Burgess Shale of Canada where collecting is forbidden but in similar deposits in Utah. This was found and prepared by fossil expert Markus Martin. Because of his vast knowledge and skill this Rare animal from Utah is prepared beautifully.
Because Ottoia are the most abundant predatory worms in the Burgess Shale they are highly sought after. These carnivorous worms had a bulbous proboscis crowned with hooks and spines. The mouth at the end of the proboscis was equipped with sharp teeth. Ottoia burrowed, hiding in the sediment. Ottoia stomach contents reveal meals of hyoliths, brachiopods, and other specimens of Ottoia. Many specimens are found preserved in a U-shape, which may indicate that they lived in U-shaped burrows. But the U-shape may also have been due to post-mortem contraction.
This is a wonderful Burgess Shale Type Ottoia.
Here is a quite rare and very desirable worm from the Cambrian Period. They lived, thrived, and became extinct MILLIONS of years before the age of dinosaurs!
