An international team of scientists has discovered a veritable treasure trove of fossils in a canyon in British Columbia. The team found the fossil assemblage in the vicinity of the Kootenay National Park in Canada.
Following the find, the team immediately started gathering loose fossils scattered across the ground. The fossils in the area are similar in age to the fossils unearthed from the Burgess Shale, another famous fossil hotspot.
The scientists who found the site say that the area is similar to the Walcott Quarry in terms of the potential number and diversity of fossils. Moreover, the fossils that have been successfully unearthed are remarkably well preserved, considering many of the specimens include ancient soft-bodied animals. Scientists have already identified several new species that were previously unknown.
"We were surprised at the high diversity of organisms and the number of new species we found at the Kootenay site because we only spent about 15 days working there," said Jean-Bernard Caron, the curator of invertebrate paleontology of the Royal Ontario Museum. "We have only scratched the surface, so to speak, at this site. The possibilities for future discoveries at this site are huge, especially when we contrast this short visit with the more than 600 days of quarrying operations that together span a century of research at the Walcott Quarry."
The new fossil site was found in Marble Canyon, a mere 26 miles from the Burgess Shale. However, the exact location of the fossil assemblage has not been disclosed to prevent the looting of these valuable fossils.
"While our fossil site is of approximately of the same age as the rocks at Marble Canyon, the fossils are from siliclastic shales - a different type of rock. The exact location of our fossil site near Marble Canyon has been kept secret so that Parks Canada can protect it," added Caron.
The first fossils the scientists found, were embedded in loose pieces of rock that had tumbled down the mountain. The team found hundreds of fossils lying around at the base of the cliff, which was a clear indication of the sheer potential of the new site. One of the first fossils found by the scientists belonged to Marrella splendens, a species that has also been seen in the Burgess Shale.
"We decided to start a small excavation to verify the source of the fossils, extracting small blocks directly from the outcrop and then splitting the blocks using chisels and hammers level by level," said Caron, "This process was quite frustrating at times because the blocks did not necessarily split very well and tended to shatter."
"We then had to examine all the fragments for fossils, but, to our relief, these efforts were usually not in vain. In total we collected more than 50 species and 3000 specimens from this little quarry!" he added.
Many of the new fossils that have been unearthed from the site, belong to arthropods, the most diverse group of animals today. Modern arthropods include shrimps, insects and spiders. The researchers have published their findings in the online journal Nature.
