SEM of a Conodont Tooth

SEM of a conodont tooth. Acid etched from 500 million year old rock. Scientists are still unsure how these teeth were placed in most of the species. Conodonts are extinct chordates resembling small eels maybe the size of the modern earthworm. Classified in the class Conodonta. For many years, they were known only from tooth-like microfossils now called conodont elements, found in isolation. Knowledge about soft tissues remains relatively sparse. The animals are also called Conodontophora (conodont bearers) to avoid ambiguity. This specimen was .5 mm wide and was collected in Ohio.

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: K14-SEM-set2conodont039full2.jpg
Copyright: Ted Kinsman / Science Source Inc.
Image Size: 3539x2550 / 2.7MB; sem color colorized conodont conodont tooth teeth tooth mystery fossil micro fossil ancient Conodontophora conodont bearers Devonian rock geology acid etched acid etched scanning electron microscopy
Contained in galleries: Scanning Electron Microscopy

SEM of a conodont tooth. Acid etched from 500 million year old rock. Scientists are still unsure how these teeth were placed in most of the species. Conodonts are extinct chordates resembling small eels maybe the size of the modern earthworm. Classified in the class Conodonta. For many years, they were known only from tooth-like microfossils now called conodont elements, found in isolation. Knowledge about soft tissues remains relatively sparse. The animals are also called Conodontophora (conodont bearers) to avoid ambiguity. This specimen was .5 mm wide and was collected in Ohio.