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Conodonts

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Fundamentals of Invertebrate Palaeontology

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Abstract

Conodonts (=cone -tooth in Greek) are usually microscopic (0.2–2 mm in length) organisms, although, rare larger specimens up to 25 mm have been recorded (Gabbott et al. 1995; Purnell 1995). Conodonts are elongate , armorless, eel-shaped, and large-eyed marine animals (Briggs et al. 1983; Purnell 1995) (Fig. 1). They are soft-bodied, except for their apparatus of tooth-like phosphatic (bioapatite with a francolite-like structure) elements situated in the mouth and/or the pharynx (Fig. 2(1)).

Modified from Briggs et al. (1983)

Line drawing of the Early Carboniferous (Dinantian, Mississippian) Clydagnathus cf. cavusiformis Rhodes et al. (1969) from the Granton Shrimp Bed (Edinburgh, Scotland).

The conodont animal. 1: Line drawing of the conodont animal showing its major morphological features. 2: A natural assemblage of conodont elements of Scottognathus typicus (Rhodes) from Pennsylvanian rocks in Illinois (Scottognathus is a junior synonym of Idiognathodus) (after Sweet and Donoghue 2001). 3: The postero-ventral view of the head of the conodont animal showing the position of elements (apparatus) of the Lochkovian (earliest Devonian) Pandorinellina rernscheidensis (Ziegler) (modified after Dzik 1991). 4: Illustration of conodont’s M, S and P elements in relationship to one another within the animal’s exposed oral cavity . 5: Enlarged view of the two sets of P elements (P1 and P2) (modified from Purnell and Jones 2012)

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  1. Department of Applied Geology, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia

    Sreepat Jain

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Jain, S. (2020). Conodonts. In: Fundamentals of Invertebrate Palaeontology. Springer Geology. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3962-8_5

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