CONODONT · Decoding the conodont fossil record through analysis of function in ontogeny and phylogeny

Conodonts are extinct primitive vertebrates that attract widespread interest because of the insight they provide into the earliest vertebrate skeleton which they manifest as the mineralized ‘elements’. These teeth dominate a fossil record that is among the richest and most complete. To date, this record has been exploited successfully but solely for its biostratigraphic significance