Fossils attest to sea creatures' evolutionary boom during Cambrian period

Another eye-catching exhibit is a bizarre model of the Hallucigenia fortis, a creature that had a mouth with teeth, eyes and seven pairs of spine-like legs.

Like most life living in the oceans 500 million years ago, the worm-like creature was believed to walk on these spines, Liu says.

"Named for its bizarre and dreamlike appearance, after the fossils were discovered in Yunnan, scientists revised the position of the creature's head," Liu adds.

The Anomalocaris, a top Cambrian predator, is another highlight. The name means "unlike other shrimp" or "anomalous shrimp", which is a reference to the first fossil of the species found, which scientists thought resembled the abdomen of a crustacean.

At up to 2 meters in length, it was the largest hunter of its time.

"Besides its size, its streamlined body and numerous appendages made it a good swimmer, able to propel itself forward in search of prey, making it one of the top predators in this ancient ecosystem," Liu says.

She adds that besides extinct species, there are also fossils of species still alive today, such as Lingulella chengjiangensis, a widespread Cambrian lingulid brachiopod (a kind of marine mollusk), which are often considered living fossils.

The exhibition is divided into five sections — The Cambrian Explosion of Life; Invertebrates from the Chengjiang Biota; Vertebrates from the Chengjiang Biota; The Base of the Marine Food Chain: Algae; and Mysterious Creatures from the Ancient Oceans.

Running through May 11, the exhibition has an admission fee of 20 yuan ($2.75) per person.

wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn