How long is the hike to the Burgess Shale?
7 h 46 min
Welcome, ! Get to know this 13.0-mile out-and-back trail near Lake Louise, Alberta. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 7 h 46 min to complete.
What is the Burgess Shale and why is it important?
The Burgess Shale contains the best record we have of Cambrian animal fossils. The locality reveals the presence of creatures originating from the Cambrian explosion, an evolutionary burst of animal origins dating 545 to 525 million years ago. During this period, life was restricted to the world’s oceans.
What’s the deal with Walcott Quarry and the Burgess Shale?
Charles Doolittle Walcott first discovered the Burgess Shale fossils in 1909, at the Walcott Quarry site. Scientist’s interpretation of these exquisitely preserved 508 million year old fossils has influenced the scientific view of the evolution of life on Earth.
What is special about the Burgess Shale?
Why is the Burgess Shale so important?
The Burgess Shale is a fossil-bearing deposit exposed in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils. At 508 million years old (middle Cambrian), it is one of the earliest fossil beds containing soft-part imprints.
What is so special about the Burgess Shale?
What evolutionary jump is captured in the Burgess Shale Canada?
The fossils in the Burgess Shale capture the end of the Cambrian Explosion, when, over millions of years, most major animal groups appeared in the fossil record.
Why is the Burgess Shale significant?
What did the Burgess Shale preserve?
The Burgess Shale is a record of the end of the Cambrian Explosion and is unique in its preservation of soft-bodied fossils that are under-represented in other parts of the geologic record (e.g., carbonates).
How do I make a reservation at lake O Hara?
Camping reservations Camping Reservations are required for the Lake O’Hara area. All overnight camping reservations at Lake O’Hara will be offered on the Parks Canada Reservation Service, or by telephone 1(877) 737-3783.
What did the discovery of the Burgess Shale quarry reveal?
What was significant about the Burgess Shale fossils?
These fossils merit special interest for several reasons: They were buried in an underwater avalanche of fine mud that preserved exceptionally fine details of the structure of their soft parts. Only hard parts are preserved in most other Cambrian deposits, obviously limiting information within the geologic record.
What type of rock is found in the Burgess Shale?
mudstone
The Cambrian sedimentary formations of Yoho National Park consist of mudstone, deposited in deep ocean conditions, and limestone deposited in shallower-water. These formations are characterized by cycles of deposition which alternated between mudstone rocks in the lower portion and carbonates above.
Is lake O hara Open?
Lake O’Hara Campground is open June 17 to October 1, 2022. Reservations accepted from February 3, 2022 at 8 am MDT by phone 1-877-737-3783, or online through the Parks Canada Reservation Service.
When can you book lake O’Hara Lodge?
Summer / Fall season: mid-June to early October. Winter season: late-January to early-April. Lake O’Hara Lodge is a backcountry hiking and Nordic skiing lodge nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, only a few hours from Calgary and a short distance from Banff and Lake Louise.
Is lake Ohara closed?
Lake O’Hara Campground is open June 17 to October 1, 2022. Reservations accepted from February 3, 2022 at 8 am MDT by phone 1-877-737-3783, or online through the Parks Canada Reservation Service. The reservation includes the bus fees.