[click on image to link to animation]
Kyoichi Sasazawa's recently developed animations at his
Burgess Shale Reconstructions website include some of the best animated reconstructions
I've seen. The proportions of the Anomalocaris canadensis above compare
well to the majority of fossil specimens. The tailfin imbrication seems reversed,
but the placement of the fantail behind the last lateral swimming lobes matches
the fossil specimens well.
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[click on image to link to animation]
Another of Sasazawa's animations, this time the Burgess anomalocarid Laggania
cambria, includes the support struts and the hind-set eyes. The animation
is remarkable in its smoothness. This is perhaps the most accurate animated
depiction of Laggania yet developed. All of Sasazawa's images are used here
with permission.
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[click on image to link to animation]
One of Kyoichi Sasazawa's earlier animations seems
to fit the proportions of the Chengjiang Anomalocaris saron quite
well. It places the swimming lobes ventrally, though their width and extent
of overlap seem greater than in fossil specimens.
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This rotating animation of Anomalocaris canadensis depicts
the lateral swimming lobes as arising from a plane halfway between dorsal
and ventral. The proportion of the anterior appendages is quite accurate,
dominating the front of the animal. The tailfan is imbricated with the rear
pair outermost, which seems reversed from fossil specimens. The lateral lobes
show a certain flexibility which is very likely more accurate than depicting
them as flat and unbending.
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This animation of a swimming Anomalocaris canadensis
is quite compelling. The body proportions are accurate, albeit the head region
could be more gracile. The flexible movement of the whole body is logical,
considering the lack of sclerotized skeleton. The imbrication of the fantail
is reverse of that shown in fossil specimens, but the fantail begins after
the last of the lateral lobes, which is accurate. The nature of the swimming
wave is somewhat strange, with the middle lobe not moving very much, while
anterior and posterior to the lobe there is considerable vertical movement.
Still, this is one of my favorite animated models of Anomalocaris canadensis.
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This little green anomalocarid seems based on Anomalocaris
canadensis, but actually fairly resembles Anomalocaris saron from
Chengjiang. The front view is quite attractive, and the eyes are flattened
ovoids that match those of fossil specimens. The lateral swimming lobes are
shown as ventral, which also seems accurate.
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