Help with research, Zoology

[McCoy]

Planing a subplot with Slug. He'll be summoning some demons to act as cannon fodder and diversions. Thought it might be interesting to make the demons Moorcockian archtypes, the Mother of all Reptiles, the Lord of Sharks, the Parent of All Starfish, etc. As the subplot continues, the archtypes will be less evolved, and closer to the Elder Worms. (How am I going to make the Lord of All Sponges threatening? Let it be a challenge to me.)

If memory serves, there are some 15 phyla not represented by living animals. Can someone direct me to a web site that names and describes these extinct phyla? Those should yield some "unearthly" demons.

Thanking everyone in advance!

[Trebuchet]

I don't know about a website, but you might check out Stephen Jay Gould's book Wonderful Life, which describes the fantastic creatures of the Pre-Cambrian Era circa 500 million years ago. Many of these critters have no modern analogue at all, and look like something dreamed up by HP Lovecraft. Perfect for servants of the Elder Worms.

If you can't find the book, let me know and I'll gladly scan a few pictures from my copy and e-mail them to you.

You might try a Google Search under "Burgess Shale" and see if that turn up any pics.

Pic: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/shale/pamsci.htm

[keithcurtis]

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookDiversity_7.html
has some good info, lots of pics and some good links at the end.

Keith "Half my education came from gaming" Curtis