The Protura, or proturans, and sometimes nicknamed coneheads, are very small (<2 mm long), soil-dwelling animals, so inconspicuous they were not noticed until the 20th century. The Protura constitute an order of hexapods that were previously regarded as insects, and sometimes treated as a class in their own right. Some evidence indicates the Protura are basal to all other hexapods, although not all researchers consider them Hexapoda, rendering the monophyly of Hexapoda unsettled. Uniquely among hexapods, proturans show anamorphic development, whereby body segments are added during moults. Szeptycki (2007) lists a total of 731 described species worldwide, in seven families, nearly 300 of which are contained in a single genus, Eosentomon.

The Protura, or proturans, and sometimes nicknamed coneheads, are very small (<2 mm long), soil-dwelling animals, so inconspicuous they were not noticed until the 20th century. The Protura constitute an order of hexapods that were previously regarded as insects, and sometimes treated as a class in their own right. Some evidence indicates the Protura are basal to all other hexapods, although not all researchers consider them Hexapoda, rendering the monophyly of Hexapoda unsettled. Uniquely among hexapods, proturans show anamorphic development, whereby body segments are added during moults. Szeptycki (2007) lists a total of 731 described species worldwide, in seven families, nearly 300 of which are contained in a single genus, Eosentomon.