Konodonten

Konodonten, also known as conodonts, were extinct marine animals that lived during the Paleozoic and Triassic eras. They are best known from their fossilized tooth-like structures called conodont elements. These elements, which are typically small and made of apatite, were once thought to be the teeth of an unknown vertebrate, but are now understood to be part of the entire organism, likely serving roles in filter-feeding or processing food.

The earliest conodonts appeared in the Cambrian period, and they diversified significantly throughout the Paleozoic. Their fossils are found worldwide and are particularly valuable for biostratigraphy, meaning they are used to date rock layers. Because conodont elements are widespread, resistant to weathering, and evolved rapidly through distinct forms, they provide excellent markers for correlating rock strata across different locations.

The exact phylogenetic placement of conodonts has been a subject of debate. For many years, their relationship to other animals was unclear. However, the discovery of complete conodont body fossils in the early 21st century provided crucial evidence that they were vertebrates, likely belonging to the lineage that also gave rise to jawless fish. These complete fossils reveal that conodonts possessed a distinct, elongated body, fin structures, and a notochord.

Conodonts went extinct at the end of the Triassic period, approximately 201 million years ago, likely due to the massive extinction event that marked the end of that era. Their legacy, however, persists in the vast fossil record they left behind, continuing to inform our understanding of ancient marine ecosystems and the evolution of early vertebrates.