In 1909, Smithsonian Secretary Charles Doolittle Walcott Was Riding Through Yoho National Park: Stumbled on Strange Black Shale and Discovered the Burgess Shale, One of the Most Important Fossil Beds on Earth

Charles Doolittle Walcott, being the Smithsonian Secretary, had nearly finished the difficult journey to the Canadian Rocky Mountains in 1909. But one discovery made Walcott a famous scientist. On the way, Walcott found some peculiar marks on black shale rocks. However, these marks are not fossil tracks because Walcott found tracks of soft-bodied organisms that are hard to fossilize. It will be very fascinating to think about how much effect this accidental discovery will have on the progress of science in the future.

In addition, Walcott's discovery was commemorated with a centennial celebration organized by the Smithsonian. It is essential to note the importance of the discovery of the scientist and the use of observation in the scientific field. Several times between 1910 and 1924, the scientist visited the site along with his disciples. Together, they collected over 65,000 specimens. Nothing happened to attract the attention of scientists because it became the basis for scientific study. Not only did the scientist find out that there was something interesting at this place, but the discovery itself included some scientific research. Walcott also discovered the Burgess Shale, which was a bad location for discovery because all of the discoveries were made on the basis of observation.

The Burgess Shale Was Different

Yet, it is not the age of the Burgess Shale that makes it special, but the way these organisms have been fossilized. Unlike other places where the fossils belong to hard structures like shells or bones, the Burgess Shale contains fossils of soft-bodied organisms. It should be noted that, according to Nature Communications (2014), the Burgess Shale site is notable for its exceptional preservation and biodiversity, and it contains examples of soft-bodied organisms. Moreover, the Burgess Shale fossils gained additional attention when some sponge fossils found there were analyzed. According to Scientific Reports, sponge fossils found in the Burgess Shale contained chitin, which was about 500 million years old. Therefore, the discovery of organic matter shows that under some special conditions, these organisms were so well-preserved.


The discovery of the Burgess Shale brought new insight into the Cambrian period for scientists. Particularly, while earlier researchers concentrated on studying skeletal fossils, the Burgess Shale offered perfectly preserved soft-bodied fossils.

How Does This Fossil Site Affect Science?

Also, it needs to be added that the discovery of the Burgess Shale is undoubtedly one of the greatest discoveries of the modern world. Firstly, according to a 2024 article in Nature, it is an extremely important Middle Cambrian lagerstätte for soft-bodied fossils and internal organs. Secondly, the Burgess Shale fossil deposit can be regarded as the main source of information about animals in their primary phase of development. This discovery is still relevant because it is useful for scientific research in the future. The fossils found by Walcott can be regarded as the main source of interpretation of the information.

However, it would be wrong to say that the discovery of the Burgess Shale occurred due to luck. In particular, Walcott did not come across the Burgess Shale fossils accidentally; he used to visit it constantly, which contributed to the discovery of his lifetime. There is one peculiar characteristic of this fossil discovery.