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Mayhem lobster discovered in KNP
By Larry Halverson
Friends of Kootenay
Another new Burgess Shale species has been identified in Kootenay National Park (KNP).
A 508 million-year-old predatory ‘lobster’ has been discovered in Canada that held a “key position” in the food network at the time.
Yawunik kootenayi had two pairs of eyes and prominent grasping appendages resembling those seen on modern beetles or shrimps.
The animal was named after Yawunik, of the Ktunaxa peoples’ creation legend, a mythical figure described as a huge and fierce marine creature that caused so much mayhem and death it triggered an epic hunt by other animals to bring it down.
Learn more about the ‘mayhem lobster,’ including a video HERE.
Lead image shows a freshly excavated fossil specimen of Yawunik kootenayi. (Robert Gaines image)
