Sculpted Stone

This is a wonderful plate of crinoids from the famous Mississippian layers near Crawfordsville, Indiana. There are FOUR crinoids of FOUR different types on this plate! The main crinoid on the plate is a large Barycrinus crassibrachiatus. This type of crinoid has a large, bowl-shaped cup with thin plates and very robust, uniserial arms. A VERY LONG stem is still attached to the crown, which is quite unusual. An excellent Macrocrinus mundulus is showcased in the middle-left of the slab. This camerate crinoid has a very robust cup composed of many plates and long, unbranching, biserial arms. The arms are complete to the very tips, and the pinnulation is well displayed. The slender anal tube extends above the tops of the arms, and a long stem is still tightly attached to the cup. Directly beside the Macrocrinus is a nice example of Agaricocrinus americanus, a classic species of crinoid from this location. This fossil sea lily has very good detail and great color and contrast. The plate structure is excellent, and the long arms are easily seen. A long stem is still attached to the cup. Near the stem of the Macrocrinus is a rare Sarocrinus varsorensis. This small, but rare crinoid also preserves great detail. All of the fossils are quite 3-dimensional and are totally natural to the plate - none of the specimens have been composited or ''added on''. The echinoderms are well presented on the large, unbroken plate of siltstone. This is a very collectible plate of crinoids from this renowned fossil site.

A Certificate of Authenticity from EXTINCTIONS is included with this specimen.