Trilobites from Mount Stephen, BC

Chad Morgan (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Calgary) discusses scientific highlights from the Middle Cambrian Stephen Formation.

The middle Cambrian Stephen Formation has a long and storied history in palaeontology. The formation includes the famous Burgess Shale lagerstätten—a deposit of exceptionally preserved specimens where soft body parts are fossilized. Found in Yoho National Park by Charles Walcott in the early 20th century, the Burgess Shale is one of the most internationally recognized rock units in western Canada.

Morgan will discuss the historical background and current cutting-edge science surrounding the Stephen Formation. Trilobite classification and biostratigraphic analyses have recently been reassessed with new fossil discoveries, including 505-million-year-old bacterial filaments, and unusual geometric trace fossils.