marpolia marpolia marpolia has been interpreted as a cyanobacterium, but also resembles the modern cladophoran green algae. it is known from the middle cambrian burgess shale and early cambrian deposits from the czech republic. it comprises a dense mass of entangled, twisted filaments. it may have been free-floating or grown on other objects, although there is no evidence of attachment structures. 40 specimens of marpolia are known from the greater phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.08% of the community. marpoliatemporal range: fossil of marpolia from the burgess shale restoration model at the museum of the rockies in bozeman, montana scientific classification kingdom: bacteria phylum: nostocales genus: marpolia species: m. spissawalcott 1919