description Wiwaxia corrugata Overview
Wiwaxia corrugata is a soft-bodied Cambrian animal best known from exceptionally preserved fossils in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada. Its body bore overlapping rows of mineralized scales called sclerites, along with two rows of longer defensive spines, while its underside carried a rasping feeding apparatus. Its evolutionary relationships remain debated, with proposed affinities involving mollusks and other lophotrochozoans.
help Wiwaxia corrugata FAQ
What was Wiwaxia and when did it live?
Wiwaxia corrugata was a soft-bodied animal that lived during the Cambrian period, over 500 million years ago. It is best known from exceptionally preserved fossils found in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada.
What did Wiwaxia look like?
Wiwaxia corrugata had a body covered in overlapping rows of mineralized scales called sclerites, with two rows of longer defensive spines running along its back. Its overall appearance has been compared to a small, crawling pinecone-like creature with armor.
Is Wiwaxia related to any modern animals?
The evolutionary relationships of Wiwaxia have been intensely debated, with different researchers linking it to mollusks, annelid worms, or a stem group outside any living phylum. Its sclerites share microscopic structural similarities with certain mollusk shell elements, but a consensus has not been reached.
Where can you see Wiwaxia fossils on display?
Wiwaxia fossils are primarily held in museum collections associated with Burgess Shale research, including the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Smithsonian Institution. The Burgess Shale itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
