Burgess Shale Fossil
Image: Edna Winti (CC BY 2.0)
Mineral NameBurgess Shale Fossil
Chemical FormulaComplex mixture of aluminosilicates (clay minerals), quartz, carbonates, and organic carbon (for the fossils)
Mohs Hardness2.5
Streak ColorDark grey to black (for the fossil material); Light grey to brownish-grey (for the shale matrix)
CleavagePerfect along bedding planes (fissility of the shale)
FractureUneven to splintery
Specific Gravity2.65
Colorsgrey, dark grey, black, brownish-grey
TransparencyOpaque
Type LocalityBurgess Shale, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Mineral GroupFossiliferous Sedimentary Rock (Shale) containing organic remains
Usesscientific study, education, paleontological research, collector's items
Associated Mineralsclay minerals, quartz, calcite, pyrite
Raritylegendary
Description
The image displays well-preserved dark grey to black trilobite fossils embedded within a light grey to brownish-grey fine-grained sedimentary rock matrix, likely shale, showing intricate details of the ancient organisms.
Geological Context
The Burgess Shale is a Middle Cambrian Lagerstätte renowned for its exceptional preservation of soft-bodied marine organisms, providing a unique window into early animal evolution and the 'Cambrian Explosion' in an anoxic deep-water environment.
