Abstract

In this talk to the esteemed Sedgwick Club, we will look at three ways to understand predators and predator-prey dynamics in the Cambrian period. Firstly we will focus on the Radiodonta – large Cambrian pelagic predators – and quantify changes in the diversity and disparity (functional diversity) of these animals through time. Secondly we will examine repaired injuries and potential anti-predatory adaptations, using case studies of trilobites from the Cambrian of Nevada (USA) and the Iberian Chains (Spain). Lastly we will briefly examine the potential of ‘Virtual Palaeontology’, using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach to assess the relative drag and lift forces generated by bivalved carapaces of different species of Isoxys – a smaller Cambrian pelagic predator.