Algae — Marpolia spissa

Geologic period: Middle Cambrian

Age: Approximately 505 million years old in the classic Burgess Shale context.

Feeding: Photosynthetic metabolism is inferred under the cyanobacterial interpretation.

Body plan: Filamentous colony or mat-forming growth.

Evidence: Filament shape and preservation are direct. Biological affinity is an interpretation and has changed over time.

Why it matters: Marpolia reminds visitors that ancient ecosystems were not made only of animals. Photosynthetic microorganisms formed part of the food and oxygen-producing foundation.

Plain Language Identity: A filamentous Cambrian organism traditionally displayed as algae; modern Burgess Shale interpretation commonly places Marpolia among cyanobacteria.

What You Are Looking At: Dense masses of thin, branching or entangled filaments preserved on shale.

Ecosystem: Marine Burgess Shale ecosystem.

Preservation: Carbonaceous compression / film-type preservation.

Open Questions: Its exact biological affinity should not be presented as completely settled.

Source Urls: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour/current-exhibits/deep-time-virtual-tour-fossil-list; https://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/science/the-burgess-shale/the-fossils/fossils-from-the-walcott-quarry/

Enrichment Method: SAGE curated research pass; title and scientific name matched; evidence separated from inference

Scientific name: Marpolia spissa

Evidence / representation: comparative_exact_taxon_visual

comparative_exact_taxon_visual

Oceans Before Dinosaurs: The Rise of Complex Animal Life.

Media license: CC BY-SA 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0