Conodont (Noun)
Meaning 1
Small (2 inches long) extinct eellike fish with a finned tail and a notochord and having cone-shaped teeth containing cellular bone; late Cambrian to late Triassic; possible predecessor of the cyclostomes.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
The tiny fossil cone-shaped tooth of a primitive vertebrate of order Conodonta.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The conodont, found in the ancient rock formation, provided crucial evidence of the early evolution of vertebrates.
- Paleontologists carefully extracted the conodont from the limestone, taking care not to damage the delicate fossil.
- The discovery of the conodont in the North American rock layers helped scientists date the geological formation.
- Researchers studied the conodont under a microscope, analyzing its intricate structure and composition.
- The conodont, with its unique cone-shaped structure, served as a vital index fossil for determining the age of the surrounding rock.