Promissum

{{short description|Genus of Conodont}}

{{Speciesbox

| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Upper Ordovician}}{{cite journal

| author = Gabbott, S.E. |author2=Aldridge, R.J. |author3=Theron, J.N.

| year = 1998

| title = Chitinozoan chains and cocoons from the Upper Ordovician Soom Shale lagerstatte, South Africa; implications for affinity

| journal = Journal of the Geological Society

| volume = 155

| issue = 3

| pages = 447–452

| doi = 10.1144/gsjgs.155.3.0447

|bibcode=1998JGSoc.155..447G |s2cid=129236534 }}

| image = Promissum_NT_small.jpg

| genus = Promissum

| parent_authority = Kovacs-Endrody, 1986

| species = pulchrum

| authority = 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.{{cite book |editor=Palmer, D.|year=1999 |title= The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals|publisher= Marshall Editions|location=London|page= 23|isbn= 1-84028-152-9}}

Well-preserved specimens were discovered in the Soom shale of South Africa in 1994.{{cite journal|title=A giant conodont with preserved muscle tissue from the Upper Ordovician of South Africa|journal=Nature|date=1995|first=S.E.|last=Gabbott|author2=R. J. Aldridge |author3=J. N. Theron |volume=374|issue=6525|pages=800–803|doi=10.1038/374800a0|bibcode=1995Natur.374..800G|s2cid=4342260}}

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