Promissum Explained

Promissum is an extinct genus of conodonts, primitive chordates, that lived during the Upper Ordovician period.

A conodont, Promissum had a primitive mouth under its eyes with mineralized teeth, which are both typical for conodonts. It had a primitive backbone and probably looked like a small eel or large worm, lacking any kind of fins except for perhaps a small one on the tail. It was relatively large for a conodont, reaching about 40 cm (16 inch) in length.^[1]

Well-preserved specimens were discovered in the Soom shale of South Africa in 1994.^[2]

Promissum was probably capable of maintaining a cruising speed, but not of bursts of speed.^[2]

External links

• Promissum at fossilworks. org (retrieved 30 April 2016)

Notes and References

1. Book: Palmer, D.. 1999 . The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. Marshall Editions. London. 23. 1-84028-152-9.
2. A giant conodont with preserved muscle tissue from the Upper Ordovician of South Africa. Nature. 1995. S.E.. Gabbott. R. J. Aldridge . J. N. Theron . 374. 6525. 800–803. 10.1038/374800a0. 1995Natur.374..800G. 4342260.