Anchistrum sp.
Phylum Echinodermata, Subphylum Echinozoa, Class Holothuroidea
Geological Time: Pennsylvanian (about 300 mya)
Size (25.4mm=1 inch): 4mm (25.4mm=1 inch); 110 mm long (along the curve); Matrix: 70 mm by 56 mm.
Fossil Site: Pit 11, Mazon Creek Formation, Francis Creek shale, Braidwood, Illinois
Code: 452
Price: $45.00 - sold
 Description:
The Mazon Creek deposits of the region near Braidwood, Illinois rival
the other famous Lagerstatten of the Burgess Shale, Solnhofen, and
Liaoning for the variety of detailed life preserved. Many exquisitely-preserved
specimens are found in the ironstone nodules that make up the deposits.
The majority of collecting areas are the spoil heaps of abandoned
coal mines, the most famous of which is Peabody Coal Pit 11. Pit 11
now serves as a cooling pond for the Braidwood nuclear power plant,
but with over 100 localities, specimens still come to light. This
specimen is a member of the largest Phylum which has no land-based
or freshwater examples, the Echinodermata, and as such it is a relative
to starfish and crinoids. This sea cucumber is exceptionally well-detailed
with the sclerites (body structures) and the characteristic calcareous
oral ring in evidence. |
