Lot 523
MUSEUM QUALITY PLATE OF 5 LARGE CRINOIDS. Crinoids are related to star fish and are known as "sea lilies" because they resemble plants more than animals. Scyphocrinites was an interesting floating crinoid with its stem attached to a round air-filled bulb called a lobolith that floated on the surface of the ocean 425 million years ago in the warm seas near Tafilalet, Morocco. When the crinoids died they would separate from their flotation bulbs and settle on the ocean bottom. The flotation bulbs would continue to float away and are never found together with the crinoid crowns and stems. This magnificent grouping contains 5 complete dark grey crinoid crowns(heads) the largest being 6 x 3.5 inches also a 4 x 3 inch crown with a 7 inch stem some and three others some with partial stems and all having detailed feather-like feeding arms and a mosaic of small intertwined calcite plates forming the crown. This esthetic grouping of multiple crinoids nicely contrasted on a 20 x 14 inch brown stone matrix would be one of the highlights of any fossil collection.
Add $50 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $850 - 1,150.
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