Late Triassic (Norian) Conodont Apparatuses Revealed by Conodont Clusters from Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

Almost all aspects of conodont research rely on a sound taxonomy based comparative analysis. This is founded hypotheses homology which ultimately rest knowledge the location elements in apparatus. Natural assemblages—fossils that preserve articulated remains skeletal apparatus—provide our only direct evidence for element location, but very few are known from Late Triassic. Here we describe fused clusters (natural assemblages) late Norian limestone beds Nanshuba Formation Baoshan, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Recurrent arrangements and juxtaposition S M multiple reveal composition apparatus Mockina and, probably, Parvigondolella. They indicate these taxa had standard 15 ozarkodinid apparatus, provide new insights into morphology occupying P2, locations The comprised single alate (hibbardelliform) S0 element, paired breviform digyrate (grodelliform) S1 (enantiognathiform) S2 elements, bipennate (hindeodelliform) S3 S4 (cypridodellifrom) paired, modified-angulate P2 (with reduced or lacking ‘posterior’ process) segminiplanate (mockiniform parvigondolelliform) P1 elements. Our results will allow testing hypothesis Mockina, Parvigondolella Misikella—critical Triassic biostratigraphy—are closely related possessed morphologically similar homologous locations.