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Microfossils
Conodonts
The conodont animal was probably the most controversial of fossils before it was even found.
What was known was their color change, linked to their amount of 'cooking' (burial and metamorphism). This color guide proved very useful for telling how mature oil and gas reserves may be.
Tiny 'teeth', or conodonts, have been known for over a century to be of incalculable value in Paleozoic stratigraphy. The organism, to which the teeth belonged, was open to wild and varied interpretations.
This was resolved with the discovery by Clarkson in 1982 studying specimens in the Natural History Museum. He discovered the first lamprey-like conodont animal illustrated here.
Conodont collections
Most of our conodont collection results from the work of Helen Plummer and later Samuel Ellison.
Plummer was particularly involved in examining the Paleozoic rocks of North Central Texas.
Learn more about conodonts
