Cardiodictyon catenulum
Chengjiang
Early Cambrian Eoredlichia Zone
Yu’ anshan Mbr., Qiongzhusi Formation
Chengjiang, China

7mm partial rare lobopod on 43mm slab.

Soft-bodied. Lagerstatten. Chengjiang.

Cardiodictyon is a genus of extinct multi-legged animal known only from Chengjiang. It has been informally called a lobopod or a “worm with legs” – more technically a lobopodian, a group that has been interpreted as relatives of a few phyla. It’s not an arthropod because it doesn’t have a segmented body It appears to be related to the ancestors of onychophorans represented today by “velvet worms.” Yeah, it’s weird.

It’s tough to get a piece of one of these but we got this one – a decent section of body showing some legs.