Stunning 4.8" Macrocrinus Crinoid With Preserved Anal Tube

This is an extremely nice example of Macrocrinus mundulus from the famous Witherspoon crinoid quarry near Crawfordsville, Indiana. Including the stem it's nearly 5 inches long and displays nicely on the sculpted limestone matrix. The quality of preparation on this fossil is exquisite - using skillful air-abrasion techniques under a stereo microscope. One interesting feature of this crinoid is the anal tube coming out of the crown is well preserved.

It is believed that crinoids from the Edwardsville Formation were 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.