Contents

• 1. The imprint of evolution. Introduction. Evolution: why no consensus?
• 2. Setting the scene. Overview: the structure of life. First animals: the Ediacaran conundrum
• 3. The discovery of the Burgess Shale. Tantalizing hints. Walcott’s triumph. The Cambridge campaign. Two mistakes
• 4. Journey to the Burgess Shale. Departure. The submersible descends. Mud-dwellers. Mud-stickers. Strollers, walkers, and crawlers. Swimmers and floaters. Catastrophe. Ascent to the surface
• 5. The search for new Burgess Shales. Greenland. Laurentia. Chengjiang
• 6. The significance of the Burgess Shale. Wonderful life? The Cambrian ‘explosion’. The molecular background. Animal architecture. A dangerous world. The unfolding ecological theatre
• 7. Animal architecture and the origin of body plans. Introduction. The Burgess Shale arthropods: early views. Cladistics to the rescue? Cambrian arthropods: the emergence of a synthesis. The story of Wiwaxia. News from Greenland
• 8. Other worlds. Rerunning the tape. How weird is the Burgess Shale? The concept of disparity
• 9. Last word
• App. 3. Localities