Early Triassic Neospathodus (Conodonta) apparatuses from the Taho Formation, southwest Japan

Abstract

Two conodont apparatuses, Neospathodus symmetricus Orchard, 1995 and N. chionensis (Bender, 1967) are reconstructed on the basis of the material from the Spathian (Lower Triassic) limestone in the Taho Formation of Ehime Prefecture, southwest Japan. The Neospathodus apparatuses are composed of eight types of elements: digyrate (cypridodelliform) M, alate S₀, digyrate (enantiognathiform) S₁, di gyrate (grodelliform) S₂, bipennate S_3/4, angulate P₂, and segminate P₁ elements. This apparatus structure is the same as that for Neogondolella and is comparable to the standard 15-element plan of the Carboniferous ozarkodinids.