Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins's diagrams of the extinct animals, prepared for the Department of Science and Art, 1857?

"Sheet 1, Class Reptilia : Enaliosauria, or marine lizards, that lived during the secondary epoch of the Earth's history

Lias formation -- 1. & 2. Plesiosaurus -- 3. Teleosaurus -- 4. Ichthyosaurus -- 5. Pentacrinites -- 6. Ammonites -- 7. Gryphaea"

mikeharrisonfossils

Another incredibly well preserved and detailed piece of crinoid I found recently that fits directly on to other pieces I have found. This species of crinoid known as pentacrinites fossilis, hung down from the underside of wood floating on the sea. There it would filter food from the water column. The colony would become too big and, or, the wood became water-logged and the whole thing sank to the sea bed where the colony met it's death and slowly became fossilised preserving the event in stunning detail! Found on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset UK 🇬🇧

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Gorgeous crinoids from England

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE Pentacrinites Full Crinoid – Museum Grade Posidonia Shale Fossil – Holzmaden, Germany – Jurassic Toarcian

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE MUSEUM-GRADE PENTACRINITES FULL CRINOID FOSSIL

An extraordinary and complete specimen of Pentacrinites, this museum-grade fossil is a full crinoid (sea lily) preserved in the world-renowned Posidonia Shale (Posidonienschiefer) of Holzmaden, Swabian Jura, Stuttgart, Germany. Dating back to the Toarcian Stage of the Lower Jurassic (Upper Lias), approximately 182 million years ago, this piece exemplifies the exquisite preservation of echinoderms from this legendary fossil deposit.

Fossil Details:

Species: Pentacrinites sp.

Type: Complete crinoid (sea lily)

Age: Lower Jurassic, Toarcian Stage (Upper Lias)

Formation: Posidonia Shale (Posidonienschiefer)

Location: Holzmaden, Swabian Jura, Stuttgart, Germany

Depositional Environment: Low-oxygen marine basin with fine-grained sediment allowing for exceptional preservation of articulated crinoid stems, calyx, and arms

Morphological Features: Fully articulated crinoid showing stem, calyx (crown), and feeding arms in life position; five-fold radial symmetry typical of echinoderms

Notable: Complete preservation with delicate arm structures intact; outstanding example of Holzmaden conservation lagerstätten fossils

Scale Reference: Scale rule shown in photo; 1cm squares/cube for precise sizing

Geological Context: The Posidonia Shale of Holzmaden is world-famous for its exceptional preservation of marine fauna from the Early Jurassic. The anoxic conditions in the depositional environment created ideal circumstances for conserving crinoids like Pentacrinites in remarkable detail, including articulated stems and crowns.

Additional Information:

All of our fossils are 100% genuine specimens and come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Full mounting plates are included for optional wall hanging display.

The fossil pictured is the exact specimen you will receive.

Taxonomic Classification:

Order: Isocrinida

Family: Pentacrinitidae

Genus: Pentacrinites