A remarkably rare crinoid fossil is giving paleontologists a closer look at how one of Earth’s earliest reef-dwelling animals lived, according to ScienceDaily.
The specimen, identified as Dendrocrinus simcoensis, preserves delicate tube feet that almost never survive fossilization. Researchers say it is one of only two known crinoid fossils with preserved soft tissue, and it is the oldest such example yet discovered.
Dr. Lena Cole of the University of Oklahoma said soft tissues usually decay first after death and are only preserved under highly unusual conditions. Dr. David Wright, who co-authored the study, said the fossil is more than 200 million years older than the oldest dinosaur.
The preserved tube feet may help scientists better understand how ancient crinoids fed, responded to currents and adapted to their environments. The fossil had been stored for years at Montréal’s Musée de paléontologie et de l’évolution before its scientific importance became clear during a research visit.
