Biology:Paucipodia

Paucipodia inermis is a lobopodian known from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang lagerstätte.

Description

Gut

Paucipodia’s gut is puzzling; in some places, it is preserved in three dimensions, infilled with sediment; whereas in others it may be flat. These cannot result from phosphatisation, which is usually responsible for three-dimensional gut preservation, for the phosphate content of the guts is under 1% – the contents comprise quartz and muscovite. Its fossils do not suggest it had any sclerites, especially when compared with the related Hallucigenia.

Classification

In a 2016 study redescribing Helenodora, Paucipodia was found to be its closest relative.

The slightly simplified cladogram below is from a 2025 paper by Knecht et al. redescribing the lobopodian Palaeocampa anthrax. In it, Paucipodia was found to be a basal lobopodian

†Diania 80px       †Lenisambulatrix 80px         †Paucipodia 80px       †Thanahita 80px     †Eoconchariidae   †Microdictyon 80px     †Fusuchoncharium     †Quadratapora           †Xenusion 70px     †Onychodictyon 80px         †Strictocorniculum     †Rhombocorniculum     †Orstenotubulus90px     †Carbotubulus     †Hallucigenia fortis     †Hallucigenia sparsa 60px       †"Hallucigenia" hongmeia       †Cardiodictyon 80px       Tardigrada (tardigrades) 60px   †Luolishaniida     †Ovatiovermis 60px     †Facivermis 70px         †Luolishania 80px   †Collinsovermidae   †EBS Collinsovermid (SAM P14848)       †Acinocricus       †Collinsovermis 80px       †Collinsium 90px     †Entothyreos 60px                                 †Aysheaiidae   †Aysheaia 80px       Soom Shale lobopodian (C1947)       †Hadranax 80px     †Palaeocampa 80px         Antennopoda     †Antennacanthopodia 80px   Onychophora   †Antennipatus     †Cretoperipatus 80px     †Helenodora 90px     Living onychophorans 80px   (velvet worms)     †Siberiidae   †Siberion 80px     †Megadictyon 80px     †Jianshanopodia 80px           †Pambdelurion 80px     †Kerygmachelidae 80px         †Opabiniidae 80px       †Radiodonta (e.g. Anomalocaris) 80px     Deuteropoda (modern arthropods) 70px

See also

• Lobopod guts

References

Template:Lobopodia Wikidata ☰ Q3897991 entry