Opabinia fossil map
Where fossils of Opabinia have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 500 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 500 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ediacaran & Cambrian life |
|---|---|
| Lived | 509.7–458.2 million years ago (Stage 4 to Darriwilian) |
| Periods | Cambrian, Ordovician |
| Family | Opabiniidae |
| Named by | Walcott 1912 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Canada, UK |
| Rock formations | Burgess Shale, Gilwern Volcanic |
About Opabinia
Opabinia regalis is an extinct stem group marine arthropod found in the Lagerstätte of the Burgess Shale (Middle Cambrian, 505 million years ago) of British Columbia. Opabinia was a soft-bodied animal, measuring up to 7 cm in body length, and had a segmented trunk with flaps along its sides and a fan-shaped tail. The head showed unusual features: 5 eyes, a mouth under the head and facing backwards, and a clawed proboscis that most likely passed food to its mouth. Opabinia lived on the seafloor, using the proboscis to seek out small, soft food. Fewer than twenty good specimens have been described; 3 specimens of Opabinia are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they constitute less than 0.1% of the community.
When the first thorough examination of Opabinia in 1975 revealed its unusual features, it was thought to be unrelated to any known phylum, or perhaps a relative of arthropod and annelid ancestors. However, later studies since late 1990s consistently support its affinity as a member of basal arthropods, alongside the closely related radiodonts (Anomalocaris and relatives) and gilled lobopodians (Kerygmachela and Pambdelurion).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Opabinia (revision 1374731507), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
