Two Crinoids With Starfish - Crawfordsville, Indiana (reduced price)

This is a rare Agaricocrinus crinoid partially wrapped up by an Onychaster flexilis (starfish), associated with a small Cyathocrinites sp., from Crawfordsville, Indiana. Two tentacles of the starfish can be found wrapped around the crinoid. Unfortunately, the body of the starfish is smothered by the crinoid. The quality of preparation on this fossil is exquisite - using skillful air-abrasion techniques under a stereo microscope.

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.

SOLD
DETAILS
SPECIES
Cyathocrinites sp., Onychaster flexilis (starfish) & Agaricocrinus americanus
LOCATION
Crawfordsville, Indiana
FORMATION
Edwardsville Formation
SIZE
Agaricocrinus 3.3" and Cyathocrinites 2.8" (including stem) on 5.6x5" rock
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#69535
GUARANTEE
We guarantee the authenticity of all of our
specimens. Read more about our
Authenticity Guarantee.