Geology and Minerals

Emu Bay Shale

The Emu Bay Shale is a geological formation in Emu Bay, South Australia, containing a major Konservat-Lagerstätte (fossil beds with soft tissue preservation). It is one of two in the world containing Redlichiidan trilobites. The Emu Bay Shale is dated as Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4, correlated with the upper Botomian Stage of the Lower Cambrian. Its mode of preservation is the similar to the Burgess Shale, but the larger grain size of the Emu Bay rock means that the quality of preservation is lower. More than 50 species of trilobites, non-biomineralized arthropods (including megacheirans, nektaspids, and hymenocarines), radiodonts, palaeoscolecids, a lobopodian, a polychaete, vetulicolians, nectocaridids, hyoliths, brachiopods, sponges, chancelloriids, several problematica and a chelicerate are known from the Emu Bay Shale.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Coelophysis
• ▸Extinction risk from climate change
• ▸Copper Basin (Tennessee)

Uncatalogued shelf

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