Description
Echinoids have lived in the seas since the Late Ordovician. But the remains and traces of these animals were buried in sediment that later hardened into rock. The Fossil Echnoid Sea Urchin is similar to those found today.
These are Echnoids with a hard external shell. The external shell has many bumps called tubercles. Because of the hard shell when buried they were able to form fossils.
Fossils especially this Fossil Echnoid Sea Urchin is preserved in Spectacular detail. Because of the wide variety and number of these Echnoids it is also assumed they lived in dense communities,
This Fossil is actually an animal related to modern day starfish so they are echinoderms. They have modern relatives called crinoids that live in the deep oceans today. So then they lived in shallow salt water seas and lagoons.
Although there were many species of Echnoids, they a variety of shapes; they can be globular or flattened, rounded or heart-shaped. But the most important function of the shell was to support and protect the soft body inside. The spines were held in place by soft tissue covering the test during life, but usually became detached and fossilized separately. Occasionally, when fossilization was rapid, the spines are found preserved together.
The Fossil Echnoid Sea Urchin thrived in the warm shallow inland sea. Because they lived near near an ocean delta system that periodically buried the colonies in silt. This silt eventually hardened into stone that preserved the sea urchins in glorious detail.
This one has exceptional detail . It is 2 inches long by 1 3/4.
