It turns out the Cambrian shales in China are revealing better preserved fossils, and some new species when compared to the Burgess shales in Canada. this is an interview with Paul Chien, a major researcher. Note specifically the Yunnanzoon, first vertebrate ever to appear, de novo! > > > > http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9701/chien.html > > First time I've heard that... an assertion that we started out with tons of creatures and it funneled to a few. It's certainly a different way of looking at things.-Covered in my book. There were oveer 50+ phyla developed, only 37 now.