POLYGNATHUS Meaning and
Definition
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Polygnathus is a genus of extinct microfossils belonging to the conodonts, which were tiny tooth-like structures found in the mouths of ancient jawless fishes. Conodonts are important fossils for understanding the evolution of early vertebrates and for biostratigraphy, the study of the relative ages of rock formations based on their fossil content.
Polygnathus was a small conodont with numerous, slender, and sharp conical teeth. These teeth were arranged in multiple rows within a bony conodont apparatus known as a platform. The platform was supported by a basal element called the hypostome. The overall shape of the apparatus and the arrangement of teeth within it were important characters used to identify different species of Polygnathus.
Polygnathus fossils are commonly found in sedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic Era, dating back between 541 and 252 million years ago. They have been discovered in various marine environments, such as limestone deposits, where the remains of ancient marine animals accumulate over time.
The use of Polygnathus fossils in biostratigraphy is based on the fact that different species of conodonts existed only during specific time intervals. By comparing the presence of specific Polygnathus species in various locations and geological layers, scientists can correlate different rock formations and determine their relative ages. This information is crucial for understanding the Earth's history, reconstructing past environments, and dating the evolution of life on our planet.
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A double monster in which the parasite is attached to the jaw of the autosite.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for POLYGNATHUS
- oolygnathus
- lolygnathus
- -olygnathus
- 0olygnathus
- pilygnathus
- pklygnathus
- pllygnathus
- pplygnathus
- p0lygnathus
- p9lygnathus
- pokygnathus
- popygnathus
- pooygnathus
- poltgnathus
- polggnathus
- polhgnathus
- polugnathus
- pol7gnathus
- pol6gnathus
- polyfnathus
Etymology of POLYGNATHUS
The word Polygnathus is derived from the combination of two Greek words: poly meaning many and gnathos meaning jaw.
In zoology, Polygnathus is the name of an extinct genus of small, jawed fish that lived during the Devonian period. This name was chosen because these fish had numerous small teeth arranged in rows along their jaws, hence the reference to many jaws or many teeth in the name Polygnathus.
