Evolutionary roots of the conodonts with increased number of elements in the apparatus

Abstract

ABSTRACTFour kinds of robust elements have been recognised in Amorphognathus quinquiradiatus Moskalenko, 1977 (in Kanygin et al. 1977) from the early Late Ordovician of Siberia, indicating that at least 17 elements were present in the apparatus, one of them similar to the P1 element of the Early Silurian Distomodus. The new generic name Moskalenkodus is proposed for these conodonts with a pterospathodontid-like S series element morphology. This implies that the related Distomodus, Pterospathodus and Gamachignathus lineages had a long cryptic evolutionary history, probably ranging back to the early Ordovician, when they split from the lineage of Icriodella, having a duplicated M location in common. The balognathid Promissum, with a 19-element apparatus, may have shared ancestry with Icriodella in Ordovician high latitudes, with Sagittodontina, Lenodus, Trapezognathus and Phragmodus as possible connecting links. The pattern of the unbalanced contribution of Baltoniodus element types to samples suggests that duplication of M and P2 series elements may have been an early event in the evolution of balognathids. The proposed scenario implies a profound transformation of the mouth region in the evolution of conodonts. The probable original state was a chaetognath-like arrangement of coniform elements; all paired and of relatively uniform morphology. This was modified at the origin of protopanderodontids by the introduction of a medial S0 element, which resulted in the separation of the exposed unit of M and S series elements from the P series elements hidden in the throat. A rotation of the S series elements to an almost horizontal position in early prioniodontids may have promoted duplication of the M element pair. In Gamachignathus, Icriodella and Pterospathodus lineages, these elements are differentiated morphologically. Subsequent anteriorward bending of the P element series caused duplication of the balognathid P2 element pair, but they remained undifferentiated, even in the otherwise elaborate Promissum. The whole clade of conodonts with supernumerary element pairs in the apparatus has its roots in high latitudes of the Ordovician.