My First Conodont!

[Mediospirifer]

Maybe scolecodonts.

Hm. After a quick web search, that does look like a possibility. Polychaete worm jaws!

I have to say, though, that ever since I saw a marine life video last summer, when I hear (or read) of polychaete worms, I think of this critter! Not something I ever want to meet in person!

Thanks for the suggestion for ID. I'll post more photos of the one in matrix after I'm done dissolving the limestone with vinegar.

[Acryzona]

Someone once told me that due to the different chemical makeup of conodonts and scolecodonts, that typically conodonts are clear to amber to brown in color but scolecodonts are black. Congratulations on your first scolecodont!

[Mediospirifer]

Someone once told me that due to the different chemical makeup of conodonts and scolecodonts, that typically conodonts are clear to amber to brown in color but scolecodonts are black. Congratulations on your first scolecodont!

Thanks! It is exciting--especially the train of thought inspired: "Scolecodont? I've heard of them, but what are they? Research time!" I love learning about new things, especially when the results are unexpected. Looking at the piece, I would have thought it an arthropod claw. Imagine my surprise to learn that it's an annelid jaw!

Here's a photo after it came out of the second vinegar bath:

I'm not sure if the two pieces were attached within the matrix, or if the vinegar bath broke a single specimen--the chip of rock split in two and crumbled almost immediately when I immersed it the second time.

Unfortunately, my camera decided that none of the batteries in the house were good enough after I took this series, so I don't have any good photos of other angles. It's now mounted on my specimen card with all of my other toothlike objects.

[Mediospirifer]

Some of my other findings in this matrix are firsts, too. Anything vertebrate is new to me--shark and fish teeth, possible scales, bone fragments, etc. Not to mention the foraminifera!

I've also found some structures that might be calcified burrows. Reading up on scolecodonts makes me wonder if they might be from the same (or similar) critters!

I haven't done much with identifying my micros (yet), but I have looked over Dr. Wilson's site about the North Evans Limestone. One conodont in my growing collection looks a lot like his photos of Polygnathus rotundilobus Bryant:

I'm having fun with this!

[Mediospirifer]

I've been looking through Dr. Wilson's "Microfossils from the Devonian of NY State" page, trying to identify some of my findings, and it looks like some of the micros that I labeled as conodonts are actually scales or denticles. I need to do some rearranging on my cards! Carefully.

I'm using Herb's basic style of printed cards, painted with dilute white glue, in coin holders. I've found that the best way to detach and move a fragile fossil from one of these is to place a few drops of water covering the fossil and wait a few minutes for it to loosen and detach itself before tryng to move it with the brush. Yes, I damaged a few things learning this, mostly things that were already fragments. Fortunately, I had this figured out before I tried to move any of my highly fragile, most-prized specimens!

One piece that doesn't match anything on Dr. Wilson's site is this:

The closest I can come to an ID for this is an Antarctilamna sp. scale or denticle attached to a Protacrodus sp. tooth. I did a Google Image search for Antarctilamna teeth, and what I found doesn't resemble my specimen. Likewise, it seems that Protacrodus scales were smooth. It looks like I have an example of something that isn't shown on Dr. Wilson's site.

Anyone here recognize this? Can anyone point me to another good site for identifying Devonian micros?

[beesouka]

Any cheap brush you can use to cut down from a discount store. You can buy actual micro slides from the web. About $1-2 each. Or you can make your own using plastic coin holders and custom print mounting papers to fit the holders using Excel or Open Office. Making your own mounts to custom fit specimens that are too large to fit on a microfossil slide. Ie...the tiny Eocene specimens from Whisky Bridge,TX.

I have been making my own microfossil slide with aluminium clips, and I enjoy the process a lot. I also love designing the layouts of the slide itself and the labels.... however, it is time consuming. I was wondering where you would recommend purchasing slides online?

[Mediospirifer]

I haven't bought any slides online, just coin holders like Herb suggested. Those work very well!

The slides I do have I bought from the stockroom in the lab where I work. They're standard slides, and work OK for truly tiny samples, but the conodonts are too big for the coverslip to work with.

How have you been making slides?

[Herb]

Scolecodonts are black and will not dissolve in dilute acids or bases, Conodonts are usually clearish, brown or amber as Acryzona says and will not dissolve in dilute acids either. Scolecodonts are composed of chitin , conodonts are calcium phosphate,

Trimming an artists brush down to one or 2 bristles and moistening it with saliva to transfer specimens is still the best way, just don't share brushes

feel free to PM me if you want more tips (anyone).

I still don't agree that the Hagfish 300 mya to present like critter.is the originator of the conodont teeth. The difference between Ordovician conodont morphology and Pennsylvanian morphology is extreme ;;IMHO

Edited October 24, 2014 by Herb

[Mediospirifer]

I just want to drop a link here that might be useful to anyone else trying to ID North Evans Limestone conodonts: LINK

That's a USGS paper on Genesee formation conodonts, with lots of figures. I'll have to post a conodont gallery of things I've found one of these days!