''Treptichnus'' (formerly named ''Phycodes'', ''Manykodes'' by J. Dzik, and also known as ''Trichophycus''See e.g
fossiilid.info: paleodiversity in Baltoscandia: Trichophycus pedum
/ref>) is the preserved burrow of an animal. As such, it is regarded as the earliest widespread complex

trace fossil A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil (; ), is a fossil record of biological activity by lifeforms, but not the preserved remains of the organism itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, which are the fossilized remains of part ...

. Its earliest appearance, around 542 million years ago (mya), which was contemporaneous with the last of the

Ediacaran biota The Ediacaran (; formerly Vendian) biota is a taxonomic period classification that consists of all life forms that were present on Earth during the Ediacaran Period (). These were enigmatic tubular and frond-shaped, mostly sessile, organis ...

, is used to help define the dividing line, considered geologically at 541 mya, between the

Ediacaran The Ediacaran ( ) is a geological period of the Neoproterozoic geologic era, Era that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period at 635 Million years ago, Mya to the beginning of the Cambrian Period at 538.8 Mya. It is the last ...

and

Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...

periods. It is last seen in the fossil record during the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

(99.7 mya).

Description

''Treptichnus pedum'' has a fairly complicated and distinctive

burrow file:Chipmunk-burrow (exits).jpg, An eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of Animal lo ...

pattern: along a central, sometimes sinuous or looping burrow it made successive probes upward through the

sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

in search of nutrients, generating a trace pattern reminiscent of a fan or twisted rope. The organism that left such traces is considered more complex than earlier

; and these

s, which occur worldwide, are usually found in

strata In geology and related fields, a stratum (: strata) is a layer of Rock (geology), rock or sediment characterized by certain Lithology, lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by v ...

above those. Since only its burrows have been found, it is presumed that the ''Treptichnus'' animal lacked any hard anatomical features, such as

shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

s or

bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...

s. Its

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

and relationship to modern animals is therefore unknown, and some dispute even its inclusion within the animal kingdom. Despite this lack of fossil evidence, surface trails produced by modern priapulid worms exhibit the same probing morphology as ''Treptichnus'', suggesting a close anatomical relationship between the trace-maker and modern priapulids.

Etymology

The name ''Treptichnus pedum'' means "turned trail (Greek) of feet (Latin)".

References

Cambrian life Burrow fossils Index fossils Trace fossils {{trace-fossil-stub