Molluscs are grand masters in the fabrication of shells, because these are composed of the
largest variety of microstructures found among invertebrates. Molluscan microstructures are …

Accumulated records of organic microfossils span billions of years of Earth history. The
majority of this record consists of prokaryotes plus eukaryotes of a protistan grade, yet this …

Molluscs comprise the second largest phylum of animals (after arthropods), occurring in
virtually all habitats. Some are commercially important, a few are pests and some carry …

Nemerteans (ribbon worms) and phoronids (horseshoe worms) are closely related
lophotrochozoans—a group of animals including leeches, snails and other invertebrates …

Abstract The middle (Wuliuan Stage) Cambrian Burgess Shale is famous for its exceptional
preservation of diverse and abundant soft-bodied animals through the “thick” Stephen …

The dynamics of how metazoan phyla appeared and evolved–known as the Cambrian
Explosion–remains elusive. We present a quantitative analysis of the temporal distribution …

The rise of arthropods is a decisive event in the history of life. Likely the first animals to have
established themselves on land and in the air, arthropods have pervaded nearly all …

Important evolutionary events such as the Cambrian Explosion have inspired many attempts
at explanation: why do they happen when they do? What shapes them, and why do they …

The chelicerates are a ubiquitous and speciose group of animals that has a considerable
ecological effect on modern terrestrial ecosystems—notably as predators of insects and …

Abstract The Fezouata Biota in Morocco is the only Lower Ordovician Lagerstätte yielding a
biologically diverse assemblage in a fully marine environment, whilst also containing …