Scyphocrinus fossil: Crinoide - 420 million years

Scyphocrinus fossil: Sea lilies.

It dates from Silurian, 420 million years ago and comes from a large deposit in Erfoud, Morocco.
Very nice piece, the specimen is well detailed, in relief.

Scyphocrinus, paleozoic crinoids, are among the most well-known large pelagic crinoids. They are animals, not plants. Today there are still crinoids in the oceans called Sea Lilies.

These atypical animals were made of a very long stalk, like a long stalk attached to a root that floated on the surface like a buoy. They therefore moved to the sandstones of the current, feeding on organic particles suspended in water. in the Paleozoic, crinoids could form true underwater “prairies”. When he died, he could sink, sediment himself whole and then fossilize.

Weight: 3.5 kg. Approx. 47x31 cm.

Reconstitution of the Scyphocrinus (from Haude et al, 1994):