Iapetognathus fluctivagus
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Iapetognathus fluctivagus Temporal range: Tremadocian |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Conodonta |
| Order: | †Proconodontida |
| Family: | †Cordylodontidae |
| Genus: | †Iapetognathus |
| Species: | †I. fluctivagus |
| Binomial name | |
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Iapetognathus fluctivagus Nicoll, Miller, Nowlan, Repetski & Ethington, 1999 |
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Iapetognathus fluctivagus is a species of denticulate cordylodan conodonts belonging to the genus Iapetognathus. It existed during the Tremadocian Age (485.4 million years ago) of the Ordovician. It is an important index fossil in biostratigraphy.
Like other members of the genus, Iapetognathus fluctivagus had ramiform (branching) array of elements (apparatus). It is believed that the ramiform apparatus in Iapetognathus fluctivagus evolved from the coniform (cone-like) apparatus of Iapetonudus ibexensis. It can be readily distinguished from other conodonts existing during the same age by the sideward orientation of the major teeth-like projections (denticulate processes).
Iapetognathus fluctivagus is classified under the genus Iapetognathus. It belongs to the cordylodan family Cordylodontidae of the order Proconodontida (Cavidonti). It was first described in 1999 by paleontologists Robert S. Nicoll, James F. Miller, Godfrey S. Nowlan, John E. Repetski, and Raymond L. Ethington.
The fossils of Iapetognathus fluctivagus have been described from the Tremadocian of Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico of the United States; western Newfoundland and British Columbia of Canada; Bartyrbay of Kazakhstan; and the Hebei province of China.
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