Organism · Animals
Opabinia regalis
Source time context (not species duration) · ≈ 539–487 Ma
Inferred life reconstruction
Opabinia regalis
Overview
Opabinia regalis is a Cambrian marine animal with five eyes and a long frontal proboscis ending in a pincer. Its small, unfamiliar body reveals the diversity of ancient seas. Its extraordinary appearance astonished researchers.[1]
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Key facts
An audience reportedly burst into laughter when an early reconstruction was shown at a research meeting in 1972. The combination of five eyes and a long proboscis was that unexpected. Yet this unfamiliar-looking body had been reconstructed through careful comparison of fossils.[1]
Time and place
It is associated with middle Cambrian seas around 505 million years ago. It was discovered in the Burgess Shale of present-day British Columbia, Canada. The Walcott and Raymond quarries preserved numerous soft-bodied animals.[1]
The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.
Size, form and skeleton
The reported body length, excluding the proboscis, is approximately 4.3–7 cm. The trunk is divided into 15 segments, with swimming flaps along the sides. A tail fan at the rear consists of three pairs of flaps.[1]
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Habitat and reproduction
It is interpreted as having swum by moving the flaps along its sides and steered with its tail fan. The pincer at the tip of the proboscis may have grasped food and carried it to the mouth beneath the body. Its large eyes and feeding structures inform research into a predatory way of life.[1]
Fossil discovery
Walcott described Opabinia in 1912, considering it a crustacean. Whittington’s detailed reexamination in 1975 revealed its unfamiliar body anew. New specimens and discoveries of other Cambrian animals led to further research into its relationships.[1]
References
Research questions
Where does this unusual animal belong in arthropod history? Several hypotheses are discussed through comparisons of the eyes, mouth, and structures beneath the swimming flaps. Similarities also emerge when it is considered alongside other ancient marine animals such as Anomalocaris.[1]
Observation
Move your gaze from the five eyes to the pincer at the end of the long proboscis, then to the side flaps and tail. Explore how each unfamiliar part connects within one body.[1]
Related organisms
Odontogriphus omalusMolluscsSource time context (not species duration) · ≈ 539–487 MaAlongside Odontogriphus from the Burgess Shale
Opabinia and Odontogriphus are known from the Walcott Quarry fossil assemblage of Canada’s Burgess Shale. Considering animals with entirely different bodies together reveals the diverse lives of Cambrian seas.
Louisella pedunculataAnimalsSource time context (not species duration) · ≈ 539–487 MaAlongside Louisella from the Burgess Shale
Opabinia and Louisella are known from the Walcott Quarry fossil assemblage of Canada’s Burgess Shale. Considering animals with entirely different bodies together reveals the diverse lives of Cambrian seas.
Hallucigenia sparsaAnimalsSource time context (not species duration) · ≈ 539–487 MaDifferent marine animals of the Burgess Shale
Opabinia and Hallucigenia are Cambrian animals known from the Burgess Shale in present-day Canada. Compare their different body structures, from eyes and a long proboscis to spines and legs.