10.2" Fossil Crinoid Plate (Four Species) - Crawfordsville, Indiana

Fossil Crinoid Plate (Four Species) - Crawfordsville, Indiana #243931

This is a beautiful, 10.2" plate of detailed fossil crinoids from Crawfordsville, Indiana. There are eight identifiable crinoids representing four separate species. They have been microscopically prepared using air abrasives. The crinoids include Cyathocrinites multibrachiatus, Ulrichicrinus coryphaeus, Agaricocrinus splendens, and five of the species Macrocrinus mundulus. This plate is quite phenomenal, with a variety of other crinoid bits scattered throughout the rock.

An acrylic display stand is included for your convenience.

#17 - Cyathocrinites multibrachiatus
#50 - Ulrichicrinus coryphaeus
#55 - Agaricocrinus splendens
#69 - Macrocrinus mundulus

Crinoids from the Ramp Creek Limestone were likely buried in sediment from nearby deltas during storms. The resulting siltstone deposits are soft enough that fossils can be extracted in exquisite, three-dimensional relief.

Crinoids, sometimes commonly referred to as sea lilies, are animals, not plants. They are echinoderms related to starfish, sea urchins, and brittle stars. Many crinoid traits are like other members of their phylum. Such traits include tube feet, radial symmetry, a water vascular system, and appendages in multiples of five (pentameral). They first appeared in the Ordovician (488 million years ago) and some species are still alive today.

About Crinoids