Two Fossil Crinoids (Fifeocrinus & Linocrinus) in Rock - Alabama

These are two Mississipian aged crinoids (Fifeocrinus popensis and Linocrinus laurelensis) from the Bangor Limestone in Alabama. These crinoids are partially exposed from the limestone rock they were found in.

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