Edrioasteroidea indet
Phylum Echinodermata, Subphylum Pelmatozoa, Class Edrioasteroidea
Geological Time: Ordovician
Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): Fossil is 12 mm on a 50 mm by 60 mm matrix
Fossil Site: Ktaoua Formation, Mecissi Area, Morocco
Code: MF46
Price: Sold
 Description:
This unusual echinoderm comes from the Ordovician deposits of Morocco.
It is a member of the Edrioasteroids, an extinct class of echinoderms
that went extinct during the Permian, a time that saw nearly 90%
of all species wiped out. The main feature of the disc-like body
was the presence of five arms, indicative of its echinoderm heritage.
These arms could be either straight or curved and served as a means
of transporting food to the central mouthy. This year was the first
time I had seen them offered in Tucson. See my other offerings
for another example. |
