What is Sirius Passet?
'''Sirius Passet''' is a special [[fossil]] [[site]], a [[Cambrian]] [[lagerstätte]] in [[Greenland]]. It is from six places on the eastern [[shore]] of a [[fjord]] in the far north of Greenland.<ref>Peel J.S. & Ineson J.R. 2011. The extent of the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte (early Cambrian) of North Greenland. ''Bulletin of Geosciences'' '''535'''. [http://www.geology.cz/bulletin/contents/art1269]</ref> It was discovered in 1984. About 10,000 fossil specimens have been collected so far. The fauna is just before that of the [[Burgess Shale]], probably ten to fifteen million years older – 518 vs. 505 mya.<ref>Stein, Martin 2010. A new arthropod from the early Cambrian of North Greenland, with a 'great appendage'-like antennula. ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' '''158''' (3): 477–500.</ref> There were no [[vertebrates]] at that time: all the animals were [[Invertebrate|invertebrates]]. The [[fauna]] includes some [[arthropods]] and [[sponge]]s, and rare representatives of other groups. A [[polychaete]] [[annelid]] from the Sirius Passet was described in 2008.<ref>Morris S.C. & Peel J.S. 2008. The earliest annelids: lower Cambrian polychaetes from the Sirius Passet lagerstätte, Peary Land, North Greenland. ''Acta Palaeontologica Polonica'' '''53''': 137. [http://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app53-137.html]</ref> [[Polychaete]] [[Annelid|annelids]] are a significant part of the [[Burgess Shale]] [[fauna]], but are otherwise unknown from the other early [[Cambrian]] [[lagerstätten]]. This single species from a single place improves our [[knowledge]] of this group. == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Lagerstätten]] [[Category:Cambrian]]