Named for its surreal appearance, Hallucigenia baffled early paleontologists with its spindly legs and spikes.
A giant predator with pineapple-ring mouth and spiked arms, Anomalocaris was once mistaken for a new phylum.
The most common Burgess Shale fossil, resembling Vorlon spaceships, Marrella scavenged debris with its many legs and antennae-like spikes.
This lightly armored creature, ancestor to mollusks, developed defensive spikes in adulthood and had a muscular foot for movement.
Known for its five stalked eyes and backward-facing mouth, Opabinia is linked to early arthropods.
Difficult to classify, Leanchoilia's anatomy suggests it used tentacles for navigation in Cambrian seas.
With bulbous eyes and a flexible carapace, Isoxys likely swam in deep waters using its shell for protection.
An early echinoderm ancestor with spiraled grooves, Helicocystis influenced the evolution of starfish symmetry.