PalaeoPorn 4

This is Myoscolex ateles from the Emu Bay Shale on Kangaroo Island South Australia. It's a view of the back end and tail, with appendages. I’ll be writing more about Myoscolex later because the gray material you can see is phosphatised muscle tissue – one of the earliest examples of preserved muscle tissue known.

Also I’ll be writing on it’s place in the animal kingdom, as it turns out to be an opabinid, one of the Burgess Shale “weird wonders” – or should I say that Opabinia is a myoscolexid, as Myoscolex is older than Opabinia!

As I said, the central light area is the phosphatised muscle tissue, but check out the fancy paddles! (Click on the image for a larger view)


Who’s got cute paddles then?
Yes you have.
Yes you have got cute paddles then!