Author Description

This succinct treatise presents an up-to-date assessment on the nature and evolutionary development of a phylum of extinct marine invertebrates. Conodonts are represented by a diverse array of tiny tooth-like fossils, and are widely used in stratigraphical correlation. They are also vital in the search for petroleum because the colors of fossils brought up in drill cores indicate potential oil reservoirs. Dr. Sweet, a leading researcher in the field, presents a novel view of the evolutionary history of the Conodonta besides examining their morphology, taxonomy, and paleoecology.