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Promissum Temporal range: Upper Ordovician PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	†Conodonta
Family:	†Balognathidae
Genus:	†Promissum Kovacs-Endrody, 1986
Species:	†P. pulchrum
Binomial name
†Promissum pulchrum Kovacs-Endrody, 1986

Promissum is an extinct genus of conodonts, primitive chordates, that lived during the Upper Ordovician period.

A conodont, Promissum had a primitive mouth under its eyes with mineralized teeth, which are both typical for conodonts. It had a primitive backbone and probably looked like a small eel or large worm, lacking any kind of fins except for perhaps a small one on the tail. It was relatively large for a conodont, reaching about 40 cm (16 inch) in length.

Well-preserved specimens were discovered in the Soom shale of South Africa in 1994.

Promissum was probably capable of maintaining a cruising speed, but not of bursts of speed.

References

1. Gabbott, S.E.; Aldridge, R.J.; Theron, J.N. (1998). "Chitinozoan chains and cocoons from the Upper Ordovician Soom Shale lagerstatte, South Africa; implications for affinity". Journal of the Geological Society. 155 (3): 447–452. Bibcode:1998JGSoc.155..447G. doi:10.1144/gsjgs.155.3.0447. S2CID 129236534.
2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 23. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
3. ^ Gabbott, S.E.; R. J. Aldridge; J. N. Theron (1995). "A giant conodont with preserved muscle tissue from the Upper Ordovician of South Africa". Nature. 374 (6525): 800–803. Bibcode:1995Natur.374..800G. doi:10.1038/374800a0. S2CID 4342260.

External links

• Promissum at fossilworks. org (retrieved 30 April 2016)

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Forerunners	Basal member †Pikaia Cephalochordate †Cathaymyrus Lancelet Olfactores †Haikouella Tunicate †Myllokunmingiidae? (†Haikouichthys, †Myllokunmingia) †Zhongxiniscus?
Jawless fish	Cyclostomata Hagfish Hyperoartia Lamprey †Conodonts †Protoconodonta? †Paraconodontida †Conodonta †Ostracoderms †Pteraspidomorphi †Thelodonti †Anaspida †Cephalaspidomorphi †Galeaspida †Pituriaspida †Osteostraci
Jawed fish	†Placoderms †Antiarchi †Arthrodira †Brindabellaspida †Petalichthyida †Phyllolepida †Ptyctodontida †Rhenanida †Acanthothoraci †Pseudopetalichthyida? †Stensioellida? †Acanthodii †Acanthodiformes †"Climatiiformes" †Diplacanthiformes †Ischnacanthiformes Cartilaginous Elasmobranchii †Ctenacanthiformes †Hybodontiformes †Phoebodontiformes †Xenacanthida Ray Shark Holocephali †Eugeneodontida †Iniopterygiformes †Petalodontiformes †Symmoriiformes Chimaera Bony Lobe-finned †Onychodontiformes Coelacanth Rhipidistia †Porolepiformes Lungfish Tetrapodomorpha Ray-finned †"Palaeonisciformes" Cladistia Polypteriformes Chondrostei Acipenseriformes Neopterygii †Pycnodontiformes Halecomorphi Ginglymodi Teleost
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Related	Prehistoric life Transitional fossils Vertebrate paleontology
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• Prioniodontida genera
• Ordovician conodonts
• Transitional fossils
• Prehistoric fish of Africa
• Fossil taxa described in 1995
• Soom Shale fossils
• Ordovician animal stubs