This article was originally authored by Dr. Hugh Ross and is republished here with permission from Reasons to Believe, a ministry dedicated to integrating science and faith. All rights reserved by the original publisher. To explore more resources, visit their website Reasons to Believe.
The Cambrian explosion marks one of the most extraordinary biological events in Earth's history. Within a few million years, a vast range of complex life forms appeared, introducing skeletal animals, circulatory systems, and bilateral symmetry. Between 50 and 80 percent of all known animal phyla emerged during this time.
Among these newly emerged creatures were arthropods, including the extinct Radiodonta order. These early predators featured claws, jaws, compound eyes, and gills for respiration. The most famous example is Anomalocaris aff. canadensis, fossils of which are abundant in the Burgess Shale fossil beds in British Columbia.
New fossil discoveries from Emu Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, revealed unique compound eyes among Radiodonta species. The large Anomalocaris aff. canadensis had 24,000 lenses in each 4 cm eye—perfectly adapted for bright water hunting—while 'Anomalocaris' briggsi had 13,000 smaller lenses for low-light plankton feeding. These findings suggest early specialization within basic eye designs, proving the Cambrian era was far more complex than once thought.
RTB scholars highlight that such early biological diversity and fine-tuned specialization point to intentional design. As biologist Andrew Parker noted, the Cambrian explosion was a period of overwhelming diversity “within one million years.” This view aligns with creation-based perspectives that see the event as purposeful rather than accidental.
“Elucidating the materialistic basis of the Cambrian explosion has become more elusive, not less, the more we know about the event itself.” – Peterson, Dietrich, and McPeek, 2009