Newfound fossils in China highlight a dizzying diversity of Cambrian life

Half of these amazingly well-preserved kinds of creatures have never been seen before

jelly fossils

ANCIENT IMPRINTS  The newly described Qingjiang biota, a rich fossil site dating to about 518 million years ago, helps document a rapid flourishing of diverse invertebrate life known as the Cambrian explosion. The fossils include abundant jellyfish (left) and comb jellies (middle), as well as a segmented, spiny animal that may be a kinorhynch (right). 

D. Fu et al/Science 2019

Along the banks of China’s Danshui River lies a treasure trove of fossils that may rival the most famous Cambrian fossil assemblage of all, Canada’s Burgess Shale.