A stunning example of a crinoid fossil of the species Pentacrinites fossilis from the world-famous Jurassic Coast beach of Charmouth, Dorset UK.
The fossil measures 100 mm (3.9 inches) across, which is large for this fossil type, and consists of multiple stems from a crinoid colony preserved running alongside and on top of one another. It has an extremely high level of detail down to the smallest parts and is preserved in 3D. This is a very fine example of this fossil type. Crinoid fossils of this quality are hard to find. It is preserved in calcite and pyrite and several cracks have been consolidated to make it stronger, as is standard for these fossils.
Around 196 million years old, this fossil would make a wonderful addition to any collection.
Crinoids are echinoderms closely related to starfish and sea urchins, and have been around for many hundreds of millions of years. They still live today in the deep seas around the world.