Description
Fossil Sea Urchins 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. These Echinoderms, Fossil Sea Urchins are similar to those found today.
These are Echinoderms with a hard external shell.
Fossils especially these Fossil Sea Urchins are preserved in Spectacular detail. Because of the wide variety and number of these animals 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 oceans today. They lived in shallow salt water seas and lagoons.
Although there were many species of Echinoderms these Fossil Sea Urchins had 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 Sea Urchins 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.
These are Hardouinia mortonis from the Peedee Formation. They were found in North Carolina. It is assumed they became exposed during dredging operations but only recently began washing ashore.
We will choose the biggest and best one to send to you, they average 2 inches across.
