Taxocrinus colletti-Indiana

Taxa: Taxocrinus colletti

Age: Mississippian-Carboniferous

Geology: Edwardsville formation

Locality: Monroe County, Indiana

Very nice crinoid calyx with an intact stem. Crinoid calyx are rare occurrences in the geologic record, but can be common in some localized deposits. The Edwardsville formation is one of the most famous deposits for complete crinoids.

Taxocrinus

 Taxocrinus is an extinct genus of crinoids (sea lilies) that lived during the Paleozoic Era, primarily in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. These marine invertebrates belonged to the class Crinoidea and were characterized by their cup-shaped calyx, long, feather-like arms used for filter-feeding, and a stalk that anchored them to the seafloor. Fossils of Taxocrinus have been found in sedimentary rock formations, providing insight into the ancient marine ecosystems where they thrived.

Crinoids

 Crinoids are marine invertebrates belonging to the class Crinoidea within the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes sea stars and sea urchins. Often called sea lilies (when stalked) or feather stars (when free-swimming), crinoids have a cup-shaped body (calyx) with feathery, branching arms used for filter-feeding. Many fossil crinoids had long stalks anchoring them to the seafloor, while modern feather stars can swim or crawl. Crinoids have existed for over 500 million years, with many species thriving in Paleozoic seas. Today, they are mostly found in deep-sea environments but some inhabit shallow tropical waters.