Opabinia Enamel Pin (Opabinia regalis)
Opabinia looks less like a typical prehistoric animal and more like something designed in a lab for maximum confusion—and that’s exactly why it stands out.
Living about 508 million years ago during the Cambrian Period, this early arthropod measured only a few centimeters long but came equipped with five eyes, a segmented body with lateral flaps, and a flexible proboscis ending in a claw-like grasping structure. That extendable “trunk” was likely used to pick up food from the seafloor and deliver it to its underside-facing mouth. Fossils from the Burgess Shale show it drifting or swimming in shallow marine environments, representing an early experiment in complex body plans during a critical phase of evolutionary history.
This hard enamel pin captures Opabinia’s unmistakable silhouette in polished metal and enamel—strange, precise, and immediately recognizable.
Specs:
- Premium metal base with polished hard enamel fill
- Secure clasp to keep your Cambrian oddity in place
- Five eyes, zero competition
Ideal for Cambrian enthusiasts, fossil collectors, and anyone who prefers their prehistoric lifeforms on the unusual side.
Features:
Deals on this item:
Free Shippingon orders over $50
Your Purchase Does More:
Science Education Programs:Every purchase helps fund our guest lectures, science fairs, and community science clubs — bringing real scientific literacy to curious minds of all ages.
Sustainable Small Business: We partner with agroforestry and carbon capture organizations to keep our entire emissions footprint net negative — not just neutral.
Independent Researchers:We source directly from active research labs, so your purchase puts money back into the hands of working scientists.