.45" Mississippian Fossil Crinoid - Indiana

Mississippian Fossil Crinoid - Indiana #327289

This is an unidentified crinoid crown preserved alongside a crinoid stem, collected from the crinoid beds of Monroe County, Indiana. The preparation of this fossil was conducted by using skillful air-abrasion techniques under a stereo microscope.

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