Coded utilitarian ichthyolith identification system step 1. To determine the “general outline” of the ichthyolith, select one or more characters from the list below. 2
| a. General outline: 2 | ||
| 0. | indeterminate | |
| 1. | none of the following 2, 8, 9, 19, 31 | |
| 2. | elliptical or lanceolate, one edge acutely dentate; may have platform or pedicle 2, 4, 8, 9, 19, 31, 32 |
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| 3. | polygonal without a platform or pedicle 2, 9, 19, 31 |
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| 4. | lanceolate or somewhat polygonal with a platform or pedicle 2, 9, 19, 31 |
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| 5. | circular to elliptical with a platform or pedicle; if elliptical, width greater than length 2, 8, 9, 19, 31 |
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| 6. | elliptical with a platform or pedicle; length greater than width 2, 8, 9, 19, 31 |
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| 7. | approximately triangular with two or three lateral projections 9, 19 |
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| 8. | approximately triangular with straight or curved axis, and with a prominent angular flexure (a must be at least 0.2 the length of b) of one or both margins 2, 8, 9, 19 |
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| 9. | approximately triangular or conical with straight or curved axis, and without prominent flexure of either margin 2, 8, 9, 19 |
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| 10. | multicuspid with cusps of equal size 9, 19 |
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| 11. | multicuspid with cusps of unequal size 9, 19 |
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| 12. | dome-shaped 9, 19 |
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| 13. | mushroom-shaped with rounded or flattened surface, with a platform or pedicle 9, 19, 31, 32 |
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| 14. | pyramid-shaped 9, 19 |
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| 15. | bar-shaped 9, 19 |
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| 16. | circular to subcircular without a platform or pedicle19, 31 |
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| 17. | Sail-shaped, crown triangular, taller than wide, and with curved diagonal on a flaring pedicle that is broader at its basal edges than crown 30, 31 |
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