For more taxa, see text Proarticulata is a proposed phylum of extinct, near-bilaterally symmetrical animals known from fossils found in the Ediacaran (Vendian) marine deposits, and dates to approximately 567 to 550 million years ago.

This phylum was established by Mikhail A. Fedonkin in 1985 for such animals as Dickinsonia, Vendia, Cephalonega, Praecambridium[3] and currently many other Proarticulata are described (see list).

[6][7] Some recent research suggests that some proarticulatans like Dickinsonia have genuine segments, and the isomerism is superficial and due to taphonomic distortion.

[6][13][14][15] These proarticulatans are incompletely segmented, as the anterior zone is free of isomers, often making a "hairband" like appearance (example cephalozoans include Yorgia, Praecambridium, Andiva, Archaeaspinus, Ivovicia, Podolimirus, Tamga, Spriggina, Marywadea and Cyanorus).

Dickinsonia juveniles show undivided anterior areas but these regions were reduced in the course of ontogeny, and in the adult stages Dickinsonia-like proarticulates changed so radically that they became almost indistinguishable from isomers.