Paleo Pals - Andy the Anomalocaris (Splash)

Adopt a cuddly prehistoric plush sea-bug that is educational and fun.

It’s CUTE! It’s WEIRD! It’s SCIENCE!

Anomalocaris canadensis: first described in 1892 by British-Canadian paleontologist Joseph Frederick Whiteaves. The most notable specimens were retrieved from the Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park, Canada. Several early paleontologists investigating the fossils mistakenly took distinct parts of the organism, (the mouth, pincers, and tail) and categorized them as three separate animals. Growing between 1 and 3 feet long, this intriguing relative of arthropods hails from the Cambrian period, about 508 million years ago. Believed to be one of the world’s first apex predators, it would have used its pineapple-shaped mouth to crush or suck unsuspecting victims into its gut. This odd yet endearing critter continues to puzzle and amaze the scientific world.