Museum LeGrand Crinoids Death Assemblage
From the Historic Loudon Collection

Description: The aborral cup, arms and pinnules are all exceptionally well preserved. Note that the specimens are fully 3D. Aorocrinus radiatus is the complete off-white specimen on the far lower left. Dochocrinus cinctus is the large somewhat disarticulated whitish specimen on the far right. Platycrinites symmetricus is the brownish specimen in the upper center of the plate with the cup at the top of the matrix pointing out. Le Grand crinoids are renowned for the various colors and hues of the individual species.

Background: Recently a portion of the collection of Lowell Loudon was
acquired and prepared with modern air abrasion techniques. Loudon was a contemporary of Dr. Burnice Beane, the academic who first discovered the wonderful fauna of the Le Grand quarry site. This collection dates back to the 1930’s. Only about eighty specimens were acquired. These specimens are quite valuable, as not only do they have historical provenance, but also the quarry itself has been closed to collecting for decades. Fossils from this area are only available when old collections become available. This is a unique opportunity to obtain one of the specimens from the Loudon collection. I obtained a total of eight specimens.

For more detailed background and history please reference these web sites:
http://bcrc.bio.umass.edu/crinoid/
http://www.iowahistory.org/museum/exhibits/flowers_iowa_seas/flowers_page8.htm.