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COMPLETE STARFISH AND CARPOID

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Rocks, Fossils & Minerals Start Price:0.00 USD Estimated At:400.00 - 500.00 USD
COMPLETE STARFISH AND CARPOID
COMPLETE STARFISH AND CARPOID. Complete starfish are rarely encountered in the fossil record as their arms tend to become disarticulated when they are buried. Fortunately, some of the best preserved fossil starfish and also some of the oldest are found in the Kataoua formation (475-490 million years old) near Mecissi, Morocco. This 12 x 10 inch plate contains a complete 3 inch long orange brittle starfish as well as a strange looking animal known as carpoid which was an extinct relative of starfish and crinoids. This 5 inch long orange echinoderm is preserved in a free swimming position (looking somewhat like a snail with a large antennae) with its single filter feeding arm in front, the plated body and the flexible tail well preserved. The single 1.5 inch feeding arm was used in gathering small animals and floating detritus in the water. The contrast of the orange starfish and carpoid with the brownish-gray matrix makes for an excellent display.

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Estimated Value $400 - 500.

Our item number 157910