Aysheaia pedunculata is a soft-bodied, caterpillar-shaped organism average body length of 1-6 cm. They are known from fossils found in the middle Cambrian Burgess shale of British Columbia. Similar forms are known from the lower Cambrian Maotianshan shales of China. Aysheaia has ten body segments, each of which has a pair of spiked, annulated legs. The animal is segmented, and looks somewhat like a bloated caterpillar with a few spines added on -- including six finger-like projections around the mouth and two grasping legs on the "head." Based on its association with sponge remains, it is believed that Aysheaia was a sponge grazer and may have protected itself from predators by seeking refuge within sponge colonies. Aysheaia probably used its claws to cling to the sponge. The striking caterpillar of the Emperor Gum Moth A caterpillar is the larval form of a lepidopteran (a member of the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ... The Cambrian is a major division of the geologic timescale that begins about 542 Ma (million years ago) at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about 488. ... The Burgess Shale (named after Mount Burgess, close to where the Shale was found) is a black shale exposure found high up in the Canadian Rockies in Yoho National Park near the town of Field, British Columbia. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 5th 944,735 km² 2. ... The Maotianshan shale is an early Cambrian rock formation exposed in the Yunnan Province of China in the villages of Ercaicun and Chengjiang near the city of Kunming. ... It has been suggested that Porifera/Temp be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Porifera/Temp be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with predation. ...

Unlike many early Cambrian forms whose relationships are obscure and puzzling, Aysheaia is remarkably similar to a modern phylum, the Onychophora. Only 19 specimens of Aysheaia are known. Phylum (plural: phyla) is a taxon used in the classification of animals, adopted from the Greek phylai the clan-based voting groups in Greek city-states. ... Genera Peripatus . ...

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