Actinocrinites & Onychocrinus Crinoids - Crawfordsville, Indiana

This is a pair of detailed crinoid fossils from the famous Witherspoon crinoid quarry near Crawfordsville, Indiana. The quality of preparation on this fossil is exquisite - using skillful air-abrasion techniques under a stereo microscope. The larger crinoid is a 3.1" long Actinocrinites gibsoni and it has a nice section of stem attached. The smaller specimen is Onychocrinus ulrichi.

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.

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DETAILS
SPECIES
Actinocrinites gibsoni & Onychocrinus ulrichi
LOCATION
Witherspoon Quarry, Crawfordsville, Indiana
FORMATION
Ramp Creek Limestone
SIZE
Actinocrinites 3.1", 3.5x2.1" limestone
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#48434
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