This partial crinoid lens was found on the beach at Charmouth on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset in 2023, and would have once been part of a large colony of crinoids.
It displays some fantastic detail, with much of the feathery tentacle-like arms coated in a golden pyrite sheen. These tentacle-like arms were used to filter feed in the Jurassic oceans around 195 million years ago. Each of these arms are made up of thousands of individual ossicles which are really clear to see on this specimen.
Crinoids would attach themselves to pieces of floating driftwood when juveniles, and would grow off the driftwood throughout their lives, hanging down into the water and filter feeding. When the driftwood became too heavy and was no longer buoyant, it would take the crinoid colony down with it to the seafloor, where the colony would sadly die and become fossilised.
Some species of crinoids are still alive today, although are rare in the modern-day oceans. Although they look relatively plant-like, crinoids are actually animals and are part of the echinoderm phylum, and are related to starfish, sea urchins and brittle stars.
Fossil dimensions: 180mm x 80mm
Age: 195 million years old.
Species: pentacrinites
This partial crinoid lens was found on the beach at Charmouth on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset in 2023, and would have once been part of a large colony of crinoids.
It displays some fantastic detail, with much of the feathery tentacle-like arms coated in a golden pyrite sheen. These tentacle-like arms were used to filter feed in the Jurassic oceans around 195 million years ago. Each of these arms are made up of thousands of individual ossicles which are really clear to see on this specimen.
Crinoids would attach themselves to pieces of floating driftwood when juveniles, and would grow off the driftwood throughout their lives, hanging down into the water and filter feeding. When the driftwood became too heavy and was no longer buoyant, it would take the crinoid colony down with it to the seafloor, where the colony would sadly die and become fossilised.
Some species of crinoids are still alive today, although are rare in the modern-day oceans. Although they look relatively plant-like, crinoids are actually animals and are part of the echinoderm phylum, and are related to starfish, sea urchins and brittle stars.
Fossil dimensions: 180mm x 80mm
Age: 195 million years old.
Species: pentacrinites
