conodont
[ koh-nuh-dont, kon-uh- ]
/ ˈkoʊ nəˌdɒnt, ˈkɒn ə- /
noun
a Paleozoic microfossil occurring in various jagged or toothlike shapes and constituting the hard remains of an extinct marine animal of the order Conodonta (or Conodontophorida), found abundantly worldwide in sedimentary rock.
Words nearby conodont
connors,
connotation,
connotative,
connote,
connubial,
conodont,
conoid,
conon,
conoscenti,
conoscope,
conquer
British Dictionary definitions for conodont
conodont
/ (ˈkəʊnədɒnt, ˈkɒn-) /
noun
any of various small Palaeozoic toothlike fossils derived from an extinct eel-like marine animal
Word Origin for conodont
C19: from Greek
kōnos
cone +
odont
Scientific definitions for conodont
conodont
[ kō′nə-dŏnt′, kŏn′ə- ]
Any of various minute, toothlike or bladelike fossils made of the mineral apatite and dating from the Cambrian to the late Triassic Period. They are virtually the only preserved parts of extinct eellike animals that are now thought to have been primitive vertebrates similar to the modern hagfishes. Conodonts grew in paired assemblages in the head region of the animal and probably formed part of the feeding apparatus. They are the most widespread microfossils of the Paleozoic Era and are very important for determining the age of rock strata.