Scytalocrinus validus Wachsmuth & Springer, 1897

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CMNH 2509, Scytalocrinus validus Wachsmuth and Springer, 1897 Age: Early Mississippian (late Osagean) (Visean) Rock unit: Edwardsville Formation of the Borden Group Locality: Crawfordsville, Montgomery Co., IN The crinoid is 36 cm. long. Crinoids, often misleadingly called “sea lilies,” are extant (living) marine filter-feeders which latch onto surfaces underwater using holdfasts at the distal end of their column. A crinoid’s arms extend out from its cup or calyx, the structure at the end of its column. These organisms survive by catching small particles of food with their arms and pulling these scraps into their mouths. Don’t let the flower-like shape of this “lily” deceive you - crinoids are actually animals. (William Ausich 1996, “Phylum Echinodermata”)