4.1" Detailed, Jurassic Brittle Star (Palaeocoma) - Lyme Regis

This is a beautifully preserved fossil brittle star (Palaeocoma egertoni) from the Lyme Regis region on England. It is Lower Jurassic in age or approximately 190 million years old. It's been nicely prepared using air abrasives to expose the wonderful detail, and is nicely centered on a thick slab of sandstone. At about 4.1" wide and would be wider if the arms were outstretched and is good sized for the species. These brittle stars are rare and this one is quite large for the species.

The black lumps on the fossil near the center and on one arm is iron pyrite. Often times these brittlestars have stable pyrite over the top of them, particularly on the central disk which spreads into the surrounding rock.