Paucipodia

Paucipodia inermis Temporal range:
Fossil of Paucipodia haikouensis
Diagrammatic reconstruction
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Clade:	Panarthropoda
Phylum:	†Lobopodia
Class:	†Xenusia
Order:	†Archonychophora
Family:	†Paucipodiidae Hou et al., 2004
Genus:	†Paucipodia Chen, Zhou & Ramsköld, 1995
Species:	†P. inermis
Binomial name
†Paucipodia inermis Chen, Zhou & Ramsköld, 1995

Life restoration

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

See also

• Lobopod guts