Exceptional Tuzoia Decorated Phyllocarid Fossil from the Cambrian Explosion

Description: This unusual fossil is an example of a rarely seen Phyllocarid known as Tuzoia polleni. It is a bivalved crustacean, most well known for its distinctively-reticulated carapace. The genus is also known from the Chengjiang Biota, the Burgess Shale, and from Early/Middle Cambrian deposits of Utah. All are largely distinguished by the presence and placement of spines on the carapace. Few examples of the genus are known from more than the carapace, as seen here. This is undoubtedly the finest specimen I have seen, worthy of any collection of museum-quality fossils from the Cambrian Explosion.