Ottoia: Fossil evidence of paleoecology

The Burgess shale, which preserved soft body parts, has many Ottoia fossils. And not only are soft structures preserved. On the left is a fossil Ottoia which preserves the three haplophrentis the worm ate before it was swept to its death.

In the painting, Ottoia is shown looming over these hapless critters.

Photo: National Geographic, October, 1993
Detail of painting by D.W. Miller from American Scientist, March-April, 1997. Labels added

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