Australia 2026 "Creatures of the Palaeozoic"

U N D E R     C O N S T R U C T I O N 

Issue Date	10.02.2026
ID	Michel: ; Scott: 5999-6002; Stanley Gibbons: ; Yvert et Tellier: ; Category: pR
Design	Illustration: Peter Trusler Stamp typography and product design: Jason Watts, Australia Post Design Studio Medallion cover and collection design: Keith Downes, Pixelad
Stamps in set	4
Value	AUD 1.70 - Nesonektris Aldridgei AUD 1.70 - Emu Bay Shale Monster AUD 1.70 - Anomalocaris Daleyae AUD 1.70 - Redlichia Rex Many other sea creaturess featured on the margins of the Mini-Sheets
Emission/Type	commemorative
Issue place	Adelaide, SA 5000
Size (width x height)	stamps: 37.5mm x 26mm Mini-Sheet: 170mm x 80mm
Layout	Four Sheets of 50 , Mini-Sheet of 4, Four Mini-Sheets in Prestige Booklet.
Products	FDcC x2, MC x4, PP x1, Medallion Cover x1, Gutter Pairs x4,
Paper	Tullis Russell 104gsm Red Phosphor/Blue PVA Stamp
Perforation	13.86mm x 14.6mm
Print Technique	Offset lithography
Printed by	bpost Philately & Stamps Printing
Quantity
Issuing Authority	Australia Posta

On February 10^th 2026, Australia Post issued the stamp series “Creatures of the Palaeozoic”, available both in sheet format and as a miniature sheet of four stamps. The miniature sheet is supplemented by decorative selvage illustrations depicting additional Palaeozoic marine organisms. The sheet-issued stamps are printed with white margins on the left and lower sides. In several designs, portions of the illustrated organisms extend beyond the perforated frame and are therefore truncated at the right-hand side of the design. In contrast, the miniature sheet omits these white margins, allowing the designs to be completed seamlessly into the surrounding selvage, where the previously truncated elements—including parts of the organisms and associated algal motifs—are fully continued.
The issue highlights remarkable prehistoric sea creatures that lived in Australian waters between 540 and 520 million years ago during the Early Cambrian Period of the Palaeozoic Era. This interval forms part of the famous Cambrian Explosion, a period of rapid evolutionary diversification when many major animal groups first appeared. Among the animals that emerged were the ancestors of modern sponges (poriferans), bristle-worms (annelids), snails and cockles (molluscs), crustaceans (arthropods), sea-stars and sea-urchins (echinoderms), and chordates—the group to which humans ultimately belong.

At that time, life was confined almost entirely to the oceans, while the continents remained barren and uninhabited. One of the most significant evolutionary developments of the Cambrian was the emergence of predation. As predators evolved specialized structures for capturing prey, other organisms responded by developing protective adaptations such as shells, skeletons, spines, armour, burrowing behaviours, and improved swimming abilities. This evolutionary "arms race" played a crucial role in shaping the diversity of early animal life.

The creatures depicted on the stamps are based on fossils discovered in the world-renowned Emu Bay Shale deposits of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. These exceptionally preserved fossils, including rare soft tissues such as eyes, muscles, and digestive organs, provide a unique window into Cambrian ecosystems and represent the only such fossil record of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The stamp designs reflect current palaeontological research and were created by artist Peter Trusler in collaboration with Associate Professor Diego García-Bellido of the University of Adelaide, ensuring that the reconstructions are both scientifically accurate and visually striking.

The renowned Australian paleoartist Peter Trusler has designed several postage stamps for Australia Post featuring prehistoric animals from different periods of Earth's history: "Creatures of the Slimes" (Ediacaran biota - approximately 635 to 538 million years ago) in 2005; "Australia’s Dinosaur Era" in 1993; "Australian Dinosaurs" in 2022 and "Megafauna" (giant prehistoric mammals of Australia) in 2008.

The following prehistoric animals depicted on the stamsps and marging of the Mini-Sheet

The text below is based on the text from the official Presentation Pack, produced by Australian Post.

Oestokerkus megacholix (Megacheiran Arthropod) - depicted on the left side of the Mini-Sheet

Oestokerkus megacholix was discovered in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale at Buck Quarry on Kangaroo Island and was formally described in 2011 by Gregory Edgecombe, Diego García-Bellido, and John Paterson on the basis of numerous well-preserved specimens. The researchers recognized it as the first Australian member of the family Leanchoiliidae, a group of Cambrian "great-appendage arthropods" (Megacheira) previously known mainly from the famous Burgess Shale of Canada and the Chengjiang biota of China. The new genus was established because of its distinctive forked tail (telson), a feature that inspired the name Oestokerkus, derived from Greek words meaning "forked tail", and clearly distinguished it from its close relative Leanchoilia. The species name is also derived from Greek meaning “large” and “bile/gut,” referring to the exceptionally developed digestive glands preserved in the fossils.
The discovery provided an important link between the Cambrian faunas of Australia , China, and North America and further demonstrated the global distribution of these early arthropods. The exceptional preservation of the Emu Bay Shale also revealed details of the animal's anatomy, including its digestive glands and sensory appendages, offering rare insights into the biology of organisms that lived more than 500 million years ago.

Oestokerkus megacholix on the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

This animal was relatively common in the Emu Bay Shale, with nearly 130 specimens having been discovered. It grew to about 6 centimetres in length and had a body divided into a large cephalic shield (head), 11 narrow body segments, and a forked tail (telson), a feature reflected in its genus name.
In addition to a pair of eyes, the cephalic shield bore a pair of frontal appendages with long filaments that served a sensory function. These appendages could rotate backwards when the animal needed to swim rapidly above the seafloor, as shown in the illustration.
The body possessed at least 13 pairs of appendages, including short walking limbs that probably did not reach the seafloor. Internally, there were 13 pairs of large digestive glands—two pairs located in the head and the remainder in the trunk. Oestokerkus megacholix is the larger of the two Australian representatives of the Cambrian megacheirans, or “great-appendage arthropods”.

Nesonektris aldridgei (vetulicolian) - depicted on one of the stamps and on the left side of the Mini-Sheet

Nesonektris aldridgei on Creatures of the Palaeozoic panel of Prestige Booklet of Australia 2026.

The fossils of Nesonektris aldridgei were discovered in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale on Kangaroo Island and was formally described in 2014 by Diego García-Bellido and colleagues on the basis of numerous well-preserved specimens collected from museum holdings and field excavations. Its discovery added a significant new member to the poorly known group of vetulicolians in the Southern Hemisphere and provided important evidence for their global distribution during the Cambrian Period.

These animals grew up to 18 centimetres in length, swam in the water column, and were very common, with approximately 300 specimens in the collections of the South Australian Museum. The genus name derives from Grek and means “island swimmer”, referring to its mode of life and its discovery on Kangaroo Island.

Nesonektris aldridgei on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

The species name aldridgei is a dedication to Richard (Dick) Aldridge, a palaeontologist who made important contributions to understanding vetulicolians. The animal had a streamlined, hourglass-shaped body, including a barrel-like anterior section with a mouth opening at the front and a large, flexible tail that suggests it was a strong swimmer. The tail section consisted of seven segments and contained an internal cartilaginous rod (or notochord), not unlike that of a large tadpole larva.
Most specimens of Nesonektris are found twisted and broken in coarser-grained sediments, indicating they were likely trapped by underwater mudflows while swimming and subsequently buried after being transported into deeper waters. Although vetulicolians were originally interpreted as arthropods because of their segmented tails, the Emu Bay Shale fossils now support their interpretation as relatives of tunicates (such as sea squirts and salps), and thus distant relatives of vertebrates. Vetulicolians are also known from the Cambrian of China, Canada, and Greenland.

"Emu Bay Shale Monster" (Spiny Lobopodian) - depicted on one of the stamps

"Emu Bay Shale Monster" on Creatures of the Palaeozoic panel of Prestige Booklet of Australia 2026.

The "Emu Bay Shale Monster" was discovered in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale on Kangaroo Island and it is known from a single incomplete specimen. It remains one of the rarest fossils from the deposit and has not yet been formally described or assigned to a scientific genus or species. The specimen was first reported by Diego García-Bellido and colleagues in 2013 as an unnamed "Collins' Monster"-type lobopodian, extending the known geographical range of these unusual Cambrian animals from Canada and China to Australia.

"Emu Bay Shale Monster" on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

The informal name "Emu Bay Shale Monster" was inspired by the famous "Collins' Monster", a giant lobopodian discovered in the Burgess Shale and named in honour of Dr Desmond Collins, who led the Royal Ontario Museum's palaeontological expeditions to the site from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
The preserved body is incomplete but would have exceeded 4 centimetres in length. This soft-bodied, worm-like creature was a marine relative of modern velvet worms. It possessed a mineralized, bonnet-like head shield, protective spines along its back, and five anterior body segments bearing pairs of spiny filter-feeding appendages. The posterior part of the body carried an unknown number of short anchoring lobopods (or "fleshy legs"), each terminating in a pair of claws.

Similar spiny lobopodians have since been discovered in China, where exceptionally preserved fossils reveal a forward-facing mouth, a pair of sensory antenna-like structures, and a pair of eyes. These features have been incorporated into the reconstruction shown here.
The "Emu Bay Shale Monster" is depicted with aposematic colouration—bright, conspicuous colours that warn potential predators of its spiny defences, much like those seen in some modern caterpillars and wasps.

Leptomitid sponge - depicted on the stamps "Emu Bay Shale Monster" and in the full form on the Mini-Sheet

Leptomitid sponge on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

Leptomitid sponges are among the most common fossils in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale of Kangaroo Island. Their discovery has helped palaeontologists reconstruct the filter-feeding communities that inhabited the seafloor more than 500 million years ago. Similar fossils are known from Canada, China, and Spain, showing that these distinctive sponges were widespread throughout Cambrian oceans. The name "leptomitid" is derived from Leptomitus, a genus of tubular sponge first described from Cambrian rocks of North America and later recognized as part of a diverse and globally distributed group of early sponges.

These elongate, tubular sponges reached lengths of about 20 centimetres, and approximately 130 specimens are known from the Emu Bay Shale. They were mostly composed of long, thin spicules called oxeas, which formed a very thin, double-layered palisade through which water could flow. Organic particles were filtered from the water before it exited through the opening at the top, known as the osculum.

These sponges grew perpendicular to the seafloor, elevating themselves high enough to access suspended particles drifting in the currents. Canadian fossils suggest an association between sponges and clawed lobopodians (such as the "Emu Bay Shale Monster"), which may have climbed the sponge body to access food particles suspended higher in the water column, as depicted on the stamp and in the accompanying reconstruction.

Isoxys communis (Bivalved Arthropod) - depicted on the middle of the Mini-Sheet

Isoxys communis is one of the most abundant arthropods in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale of Kangaroo Island, with more than 550 specimens known. The genus Isoxys was first described in the 19^th century from Cambrian rocks of North America and is now known from fossil deposits around the world. Its name is derived from Greek words meaning "equal" and "sharp", referring to the distinctive pair of long spines projecting from the front and rear of the carapace. The species name communis, Latin for "common", reflects its abundance in the Emu Bay Shale and other Cambrian fossil assemblages.

Isoxys communis on margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

This arthropod had a large bivalved carapace covering almost its entire body, rather than only the head and thorax as in modern shrimps, and could reach more than 10 centimetres in length. It possessed well-developed anterior and posterior spines, a head bearing a pair of slender appendages, and a pair of large stalked eyes covered with minute lenses, whose density exceeded even that of Anomalocaris. Appendages were present on every body segment.

These animals may have formed swarms in the water column or close to the seafloor but were probably not capable of crawling along the substrate. Isoxys communis is the largest known representative of a genus that includes more than twenty species distributed across Cambrian deposits worldwide.

Anomalocaris daleyae (Radiodont Arthropod) - depicted on the middle of the Mini-Sheet

Anomalocaris daleyae on Creatures of the Palaeozoic panel of Prestige Booklet of Australia 2026.

Anomalocaris daleyae was described from the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale of Kangaroo Island, and is closely related to the famous Canadian species Anomalocaris canadensis, one of the first Cambrian apex predators to be recognized by palaeontologists. The genus name Anomalocaris derives from Greek and means "unusual shrimp", reflecting the confusion surrounding its first discovery, when its frontal appendages were mistakenly identified as those of a shrimp-like crustacean. The species name daleyae honours palaeontologist Allison C. Daley for her contributions to the study of radiodonts and other Cambrian arthropods.

Anomalocaris on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

The fierce-looking Anomalocaris daleyae was, at around 50 centimetres in length, one of the largest animals in the Cambrian oceans. It possessed swimming flaps along the sides of its body, a pair of large compound eyes, and segmented frontal appendages used to grasp prey. The Emu Bay Shale hosts two radiodont species: Anomalocaris daleyae and the endemic Australian species Echidnocaris briggsi.

So far, only disarticulated remains have been recovered, including frontal appendages, oral cones (circular mouths composed of radial plates), swimming flaps, gills, and exceptionally preserved eyes. Unlike any other known Cambrian fossil locality, the Emu Bay Shale has yielded radiodont eyes preserving thousands of individual hexagonal lenses, each approximately 0.3 millimetres in diameter. It is estimated that the eyes of Anomalocaris may have contained up to 25,000 lenses, each functioning like a pixel in a digital camera.

This extraordinary visual system provided some of the most acute vision known among Cambrian animals and rivalled that of modern arthropod predators such as dragonflies. Combined with its powerful spiny frontal appendages, armour-plated oral cone, and large size, this made Anomalocaris a formidable apex predator, often described as the "great white shark" of the Cambrian seas.

Redlichia takooensis (Trilobite Arthropod) - depicted in the middle of the Mini-Sheet

Redlichia takooensis on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

Redlichia takooensis is one of the most common trilobites in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale, with more than 500 specimens collected. The genus Redlichia was established in 1913 and named in honour of the Austrian geologist and palaeontologist Alois Redlich. The species name takooensis refers to Takoo (Ta-ku) in Yunnan Province, China, where the species was first described. During the Cambrian Period, South China was located much closer to Australia, explaining the presence of closely related faunas in both regions.

This trilobite grew up to eight centimetres in length and possessed a calcium carbonate exoskeleton with large dorsal spines on several segments, particularly on the 11^th thoracic segment, where the spine extended well beyond the length of the body. Despite this formidable defence, many specimens show evidence of attacks by larger predators.

The exceptionally preserved fossils of the Emu Bay Shale reveal not only the hard exoskeleton but also details of the animal's soft anatomy, including digestive organs and antennae that probably functioned as sensory structures similar to those of modern crustaceans. These fossils provide rare insights into the biology and ecology of trilobites that lived more than 500 million years ago.

Wronascolex antiquus (Palaeoscolecid Priapulid) - depicted on the right side of the Mini-Sheet

Wronascolex antiquus is the most common worm fossil in the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale, with more than 350 specimens known. The genus was established in 2004 and named in honour of the Polish palaeontologist Ryszard Wrona, combined with the Greek word scolex, meaning "worm". The species name antiquus is Latin for "ancient", reflecting the great age of these early marine animals. The discovery of numerous specimens, including both carcasses and moults, has provided valuable insights into the growth and ecology of Cambrian priapulid worms.

Wronascolex antiquus on the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

This worm reached almost 35 centimetres in length and about one centimetre in diameter, making it the largest alaeoscolecid known from the Cambrian. It possessed a spiny, eversible proboscis used to capture prey and an annulated body covered with mineralized microscopic plates of various sizes. These plates may have provided protection and helped the animal burrow through the seafloor sediments.

Most specimens from the Emu Bay Shale represent carcasses, although some are moults—the discarded outer skin shed as the animal grew. Wronascolex belongs to the palaeoscolecids, an extinct group of armoured worms closely related to modern priapulids, commonly known as "penis worms".

Redlichia rex (Trilobite Arthropod) - depicted on the left side of the Mini-Sheet

This trilobite reached around 25 centimetres in length, which makes it the largest trilobite known from the Cambrian of Australia. It was not as common as its smaller cousin, Redlichia takooensis, with only around 50 specimens recorded from available collections.

Redlichia rex on Creatures of the Palaeozoic panel of Prestige Booklet of Australia 2026.

Redlichia rex is known from the exceptional Cambrian fossil deposits of the Emu Bay Shale, a classic Lagerstätte famous for its extraordinary preservation of both hard and soft-bodied organisms. Its discovery within this formation has provided rare insight into trilobite soft tissue anatomy, which is only very rarely preserved in the fossil record.

The species possesses a mineralised exoskeleton with a line of dorsal spines along the body axis. In several specimens, parts of the soft tissue anatomy are also preserved, including antennae and biramous limb structures. These appendages consist of two branches: an outer flap bearing a fringe of fine setae, likely functioning as a gill, and an inner walking branch composed of seven segments. The limb bases carry rows of robust spines arranged in a saw-like pattern, suggesting an adaptation for processing hard food items.

Redlichia rex on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

These features indicate a highly active predatory or scavenging lifestyle. The robust spines were likely used to crush and shred prey, including shelled organisms. It has even been suggested that Redlichia rex contributed to the abundance of large shell fragments and coprolites found in the same deposits, and may have engaged in opportunistic cannibalism.

The genus name Redlichia derives from the name of the Austrian geologist Redlich, while the species epithet rex is Latin for “king,” referring to its unusually large size compared to related species. This naming convention follows the common paleontological practice of combining a historically derived genus name with a descriptive Latin species epithet that highlights a distinctive trait.

Balcoracania dailyi (Trilobite Arthropod) - depicted on the right side of the Mini-Sheet

This trilobite is small, about 1.5 centimetres in length, and is easily recognisable by its extremely long thorax bearing a pair of prominent thorn-like “macropleural” spines that extend posteriorly to the level of the pygidium (tail).

Balcoracania on the stamp and the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

These exaggerated spines divide the thorax into an anterior region of six segments and a posterior region with up to 97 segments, giving a total of 103 thoracic segments—the highest number known in any trilobite. This extreme segmentation represents one of the most unusual body plans among trilobites and is often interpreted as an adaptation linked to enrolment mechanics or defensive morphology.

Balcoracania dailyi is among the rarest trilobites in the Emu Bay Shale, with only a handful of specimens known from the deposit, making it a particularly significant taxon for understanding Cambrian arthropod diversity.

The genus Balcoracania was named after Balcoracana Creek in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia, where the species was first discovered. The species epithet dailyi honours the Australian palaeontologist Gregory J. (John) Daily, in recognition of his contributions to Cambrian trilobite research.

Fossils of this species have also been reported from Antarctica, which during the Cambrian was part of the supercontinent Gondwana, indicating a much wider palaeogeographic distribution than its modern South Australian occurrences alone suggest.

Wisangocaris barbarahardyae (Chelicerate Arthropod) - depicted on the left side of the Mini-Sheet

This arthropod is one of the oldest known relatives of the chelicerates, the group that today includes spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs and sea spiders. It inhabited the shallow seas that covered South Australia during the Early Cambrian, approximately 514 million years ago. The animal possessed a segmented body protected by a broad head shield and specialised feeding appendages equipped with spiny gnathobases that enabled it to crush and process prey. Fossils preserving digestive remains suggest that it fed on trilobites and other hard-shelled organisms living on the sea floor.

Wisangocaris barbarahardyae on the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

The species was formally described in 2016 from approximately 270 exceptionally preserved specimens recovered from the famous Emu Bay Shale Lagerstätte on Kangaroo Island. Such a large number of fossils allowed palaeontologists to reconstruct the anatomy of the animal in unusual detail and to recognise characteristics linking it to the ancestors of modern chelicerates. The genus name Wisangocaris refers to the nearby Wisanger Hills, while the suffix caris, derived from the Greek word for shrimp, is commonly used in the names of fossil arthropods. The species epithet barbarahardyae honours Dr Barbara Hardy AO (1927–2016), a distinguished South Australian naturalist, conservationist and environmental campaigner whose work helped preserve Kangaroo Island's unique natural heritage.

The discovery of Wisangocaris was of considerable scientific importance because it helped bridge a gap in our understanding of chelicerate evolution. Together with other spectacular fossils from the Emu Bay Shale, it provides a rare glimpse into the Cambrian Explosion, the pivotal period in Earth's history when most major groups of animals first appeared in the fossil record. More than half a billion years later, the descendants of these early arthropods remain among the most successful and diverse animals on the planet.

Estaingia bilobata (Trilobite Arthropod) - depicted on the left side of the Mini-Sheet

This trilobite was one of the most common inhabitants of the shallow marine environments that covered much of South Australia during the Early Cambrian, approximately 514 million years ago. Like other trilobites, it possessed a hard external skeleton divided into three longitudinal lobes, a feature that gave the group its name. The animal crawled across the sea floor searching for food and periodically shed its exoskeleton as it grew, leaving behind fossils that are now abundant in Cambrian rocks throughout the region.

Estaingia bilobata on the margin of Creatures of the Palaeozoic Mini-Sheet of Australia 2026.

The species was first described in 1910 by the British-born Australian palaeontologist Frederick Chapman. The genus name Estaingia derives from Estaingia Creek on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, while the species epithe bilobata, meaning "two-lobed", refers to distinctive features of its cephalon, or head shield. More than a century of collecting has produced thousands of specimens, making Estaingia bilobata one of the best-known Australian trilobites.

The abundance and wide geographic distribution of Estaingia bilobata have made it a particularly valuable index fossil. Because it occurs within a relatively narrow interval of geological time, palaeontologists use the species to correlate Cambrian rock formations across different parts of Australia and beyond. Its fossils help establish the age of sedimentary deposits and provide an important framework for studying the remarkable diversification of marine life during the Cambrian Explosion.

Although overshadowed by spectacular predators such as Anomalocaris, species such as Estaingia formed the backbone of Cambrian marine ecosystems. Their abundance provided a vital food source for larger predators and contributed to the complex ecological interactions that characterised some of Earth's earliest animal communities.

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Products and associated philatelic items

FDC		First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Medallion Cover	Presentation Pack	Prestige Booklet
Maxi Cards	Gutter Pairs

References

• Technical details and official press release:
  Stamp bulletin No. 399, 2026 of Australian Post.