The Burgess Shale fossils
Read The Burgess Shale fossils and check the IELTS Reading answers. Some discoveries are so unusual it takes decades and sometimes even centuries to understand their full significance. One such discovery is the fossil bed known as the Burgess Shale, which contains a record of bizarre creatures that…
Passage preview
Some discoveries are so unusual it takes decades and sometimes even centuries to understand their full significance. One such discovery is the fossil bed known as the Burgess Shale, which contains a record of bizarre creatures that lived 505 million years ago. It was discovered in the Canadian Rockies over a century ago, and was popularized in 1989 in a book, Wonderful Life, by Stephen Jay Gould, an American paleontologist.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- abrupt adjective
Occurring rapidly, suddenly, and unexpectedly, often in an unpleasant or harsh manner
The abrupt climate shifts led to the decline of several vulnerable animal species.
- assemblage noun
A significant collection or gathering of distinct things or people in one particular place
The university museum displayed a fascinating assemblage of ancient tools and primitive artifacts.
- decomposition noun
The state or natural process of rotting or decaying, especially concerning organic matter
The decomposition of organic matter is essential for returning vital nutrients to the soil.
- diversify verb
To enlarge the range of products or fields of operation; to become more varied and complex
The marine organisms began to diversify rapidly during the Cambrian explosion period.
- fauna noun
The collective animals of a particular region, habitat, or specific geological period
Climate change has severely impacted the indigenous fauna of the coastal regions.
- marine ecosystem noun
A complex network of interacting aquatic organisms and their shared physical environment
The sudden oil spill disrupted the delicate balance of the local marine ecosystem.
- mass extinction noun
A widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth, typically affecting numerous species
The asteroid impact triggered a mass extinction that effectively eradicated the dinosaur population.
- misconception noun
A view or opinion that is fundamentally incorrect because it relies on faulty thinking or understanding
It is a common misconception that evolutionary processes always proceed in a predictable, linear fashion.
- multiplicity noun
A surprisingly large number or a great variety of specific things or elements
Researchers identified a multiplicity of factors contributing to the sudden economic downturn.
- paleontologist noun
A scientist who studies the history of life on Earth through the analysis of the fossil record
The paleontologist discovered a new species of dinosaur in the sedimentary rock layers.
- proboscis noun
An elongated sucking mouthpart, typically tubular and flexible, found in certain insects and animals
The insect uses its elongated proboscis to extract nectar from deep within the flower.
- quash verb
To put an absolute end to something firmly or decisively; to suppress completely
New fossil evidence helped to quash previous historical theories about the creature's origins.
Answers with explanations
- 1. TRUE
The statement matches the passage. The text confirms the Burgess Shale was **popularized** (became widely known to the public) through a **book** written by Stephen Jay **Gould**. Answer: TRUE.
- 2. NOT GIVEN
The text mentions **Charles Walcott** arriving after reports from **Canadian** workers. However, there is no mention anywhere in the passage about him needing to get **permission from authorities** to access the site. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 2-3: F
2: The text mentions **Charles Walcott** arriving after reports from **Canadian** workers. However, there is no mention anywhere in the passage about him needing to get **permission from authorities** to access the site. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
3: The passage clearly states that the fossil beds contain both **impressions of soft body parts** and the remains of bones and shells (which represent **hard body parts**). This perfectly aligns with the statement. Answer: TRUE.
- 3. TRUE
The passage clearly states that the fossil beds contain both **impressions of soft body parts** and the remains of bones and shells (which represent **hard body parts**). This perfectly aligns with the statement. Answer: TRUE.
- 3-4: A
3: The passage clearly states that the fossil beds contain both **impressions of soft body parts** and the remains of bones and shells (which represent **hard body parts**). This perfectly aligns with the statement. Answer: TRUE.
4: The statement claims the creatures were **land animals**. However, the text provides a direct contradiction, explicitly stating that **these animals originally existed below an ocean** before the land was pushed up. Answer: FALSE.
- 4. FALSE
The statement claims the creatures were **land animals**. However, the text provides a direct contradiction, explicitly stating that **these animals originally existed below an ocean** before the land was pushed up. Answer: FALSE.
- 5. FALSE
The statement claims Hallucigenia is **unrelated** to modern creatures. The text contradicts this by stating it is **now thought to be an ancestor of the modern group of arthropods**, proving it is directly related. Answer: FALSE.
- 6. Cambrian explosion
The blank requires the name of the time period just before the formation of the **Burgess Shale**. The text states it formed right after a period called the **Cambrian explosion**.
- 7. ["railway","Canadian railway"]
The blank requires a noun related to what the people who found the fossils were building. The text reveals that the construction workers were building a **Canadian railway**.
- 8. 1979
The blank requires a year. The text states that a researcher (paleontologist Simon Conway Morris) **re-examined** (looked at again) the specimens in the year **1979**.
- 9. evolution
The blank needs a noun describing what continued for complex life forms following the **Morocco** discoveries. The text states these discoveries suggest the **evolution** of complex life went on uninterrupted.
- 10. fan
The table requires a noun describing the shape of **Opabinia's tail**. The passage explicitly states the creature had a tail in the shape of a **fan**.
- 11. food
The table asks what the **claws** were used to hold. The text explains that the grasping claws on the end of the proboscis **grabbed food**.
- 12. leech
The table needs a noun that **Nectocaris** looked like. The text states that it could be **mistaken for** (looked like) a **leech**.
- 13. move
The table requires a verb explaining the function of **Hallucigenia's spines**. The text notes that scientists hypothesized the spines acted like legs that **helped it move**.