Title: Re: paleonet Conodonts
Pa and Pb are morphological categories of conodont elements; they are different parts of the conodont skeleton (a single species can have P, M and S elements - notational scheme devised by Sweet and Schonlaub).
Pa elements in many post-Ordovician faunas have serrated blade-shaped or molar like morphologies; Pb are generally arched serrated blade-shaped elements.
We now know the actual positions of these elements in many taxa: P1 elements (= Pa morphologies) were the most posterior parts of the oropharyngeal skeleton, P2 elements (=Pb) lay just in front of them.
More than you wanted to know, probably.
Mark
On 5/1/06 20:55, "van Heck, Shirley SIEP-EPT-SCRT" <Shirley.vanHeck@Shell.Com> wrote:
Can anyone tell me what the abbreviations Pa and Pb mean behind the names of conodonts?
Thanks,
groeten / regards,
Shirley E. van Heck
Staff stratigrapher
Shell International Exploration and Production
200, N. Dairy Ashford
Houston, Texas 77079
USA
Tel: + 1 281 544 2638
Email: Shirley.vanheck@shell.com
Dr Mark A. Purnell
Department of Geology
University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester LE1 7RH
UK
Tel +44 116 252 3645 Fax +44 116 252 3918
www.le.ac.uk/gl/map2/