4" Hylodecrinus Crinoid Fossil - Warsaw Formation, Illinois

Hylodecrinus Crinoid Fossil - Warsaw Formation, Illinois #43526

This is a detailed Hylodecrinus briareus from the Warsaw Formation in Illinois. It has a nice long section of stem still attached making it a very aesthetic specimen.

Most of the 3D crinoids coming out of the midwest are coming from Crawfordsville, Indiana making these Illinois specimens a little more unusual. The specimen has been prepared using air abrasives to remove the hard limestone surrounding the specimen, and reveal the very detailed calyx.

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