Two Crinoids and One Brachiopod on One Plate - Crawfordsville, Indiana

This is a really cool crinoid and brachiopod association from the Edwardsville Formation near Crawfordsville, Indiana, with two different crinoid species present. All are preserved 3D and have been prepared with air abrasives. There is a 1.4" long Pachylocrinus aequalis, a 1.3" long (including stem) Cyathocrinites harrodi and a brachiopod (Echinoconchus alternatus) measuring 1.4" wide. It comes with an acrylic display stand.

It is believed that crinoids from the Ramp Creek Limestone 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.

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