Asteroidea indet.
Spinadiscus sp
Phylum Echinodermata
Geological Time: Upper Ordovician
Size: Sea star has 38 mm armspan; Edrioasteroids: 10 mm across on a 60 mm by 90 mm matrix
Fossil Site: El Kaid Errami Valley, Tafilalt, Morocco
Code: 18147
Price: Sold
 Description:
This plate displays a fine starfish found in the Ordovician deposits
of El Kaid Erram in association  with
a pair of Edrioasteroids. Intact starfish specimens are quite uncommon
in the fossil record. This fine specimen is a member of the Asteroidea,
or True Starfish. Unlike the brittlestars, true starfish have no demarcation
between the arms and the ventral body, and move by means of tube feet
rather than by the sinuous movements of the arms. The starfish is
quite 3-D in appearance making for a dramatic display piece. The Edrioasteroids
were 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 mouth. |
