Peytoia

Peytoia
Temporal range: Cambrian Stage 3–Miaolingian
Fossil specimen of Peytoia nathorsti
Reconstruction of P. nathorsti
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Order: †Radiodonta
Family: †Hurdiidae
Genus: †Peytoia
Walcott, 1911
Type species
†Peytoia nathorsti
Walcott, 1911
Species
Synonyms
  • Laggania
    Walcott, 1911
  • Pomerania
    Lendzion, 1975 (preoccupied)
  • Cassubia
    Lendzion, 1977

Peytoia is a genus of hurdiid radiodont, an early diverging order of stem-group arthropods, that lived in the Cambrian period, containing two species, Peytoia nathorsti from the Miaolingian of Canada and Peytoia infercambriensis from Poland, dating to Cambrian Stage 3.[1] Its two frontal appendages had long bristle-like spines, it had no fan tail, and its short stalked eyes were behind its large head.

108 specimens of Peytoia are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.21% of the community.[2]

Peytoia nathorsti and its junior synonym Laggania cambria played a major role in the discovery of the radiodont body plan. Initially interpreted as a jellyfish and a sea cucumber respectively, they were eventually shown to be the mouthparts and body of a single animal, which bore Anomalocaris-like appendages.

Peytoia infercambriensis is the geologically oldest known radiodont species.[1]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference daley2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Caron, Jean-Bernard; Jackson, Donald A. (October 2006). "Taphonomy of the Greater Phyllopod Bed community, Burgess Shale". PALAIOS. 21 (5): 451–65. Bibcode:2006Palai..21..451C. doi:10.2110/palo.2003.P05-070R. JSTOR 20173022. S2CID 53646959.