Question

WHAT IF? Suggest key roles that mineralized bone might have played in early vertebrates.

Short answer

In armored jawless animals, bone acts as a protective covering, perhaps defending them from predators. Some animals had mineralized mouthparts that might be employed for predation or scavenging.

Step-by-step solution

Mineralization of bones

Minerals are required for the body's average growth and function. Calcium is also involved in bone production, which is referred to as "bone mineralization." The mineral complex - calcium phosphate creates bones. It adds more toughness, shape, and thickness to the bones.

Iron is required to develop hemoglobin, iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormone, and sodium is essential for the proper function of nerves and muscles.

Step 2: Early vertebrates

The earliest vertebrate specimens date back 500 million years and contain conodonts, thin, soft-bodied animals with no jaws, and an internal skeleton made of cartilage. Conodonts had huge eyes, which they may have used to locate prey, which were then stuck on a series of barbed hooks at the front of their jaws.

Role of mineralized bone in early vertebrates

Codoants consist of hooks, and these hooks were developed of mineralized dental tissues, which were hardened by including minerals like calcium. The meal was then returned to the pharynx, where it was diced and squashed by a new set of dental components.

These vertebrates, like conodonts, without jaws but did have a muscular pharynx that they may have used to suck in bottom-dwelling animals or detritus. They were also armored with mineralized bone, which covered various parts of their bodies and may have provided protection from predators.