Texas Pennsylvanian Fossils

Echinoderms 

The Phylum Echinodermata is a diverse group of advanced marine invertebrates which includes starfish, sea urchins, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, and crinoids.  They are characterized by five-fold radial symmetry and a calcareous skeleton composed of many individual elements.  This page contains all the echinoderms which are not crinoids, such as echinoids, starfish, ophiuroids, and holothuroids.  Similar to the crinoids, most of the skeletal features of these groups are composed of many individual elements loosely joined together.  The nature of the skeletal system often means they disarticulate rapidly after death.

In the Finis, small, disarticulated elements can be commonly found by searching the micro-matrix.  Many of them are not identifiable more specifically than Class.

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Collections are from Mike DeBrock (MD), Josh Hanley (JH), Dr. Peter Holterhoff  (PH), Mark McKinzie (MM), John McLeod (JM), Dr. Ben Neuman (BN), Bob Williams (BW), Sveta Earnest (SE), and Rodney Wise (RW).  

All scales are shown in millimeters unless otherwise noted.

Images

Taxonomy/Stratigraphy/
Location/Collection

Images

Taxonomy/Stratigraphy/
Location/Collection

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Echinoidea

Order: Cidaroida

Family: Archaeocidaridae

Genus: Archaeocidaris

Species: A. sp.

Finis Shale, Graham Formation

Lost Creek Dam, Jacksboro, TX

Collection: MM

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Asteroidea

Order: 

Family: 

Genus: 

Desc: Asteroidea indet.

Finis Shale, Graham Formation

Lost Creek Dam, Jacksboro, TX

Collection:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Echinoidea

Order: 

Family: 

Genus: 

Desc: Echinoidea indet.

Finis Shale, Graham Formation

Lost Creek Cem., Jacksboro, TX

Collection: MD

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Holothuroidea

Order: 

Family: 

Genus: 

Desc: Holothuroidea indet.

Finis Shale, Graham Formation

Lost Creek Dam, Jacksboro, TX

Collection: MD

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Ophiuroidea

Order: 

Family: 

Genus: 

Desc:  Ophiuroid ossicles

Finis Shale, Graham Formation

Lost Creek Dam, Jacksboro, TX

Collection: MD

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Echinoidea

Order: Echinocystitoida

Family: Echinocystitidae 

Genus: Proterocidaris (Eupholidocidaris)??

Species: P. belli

Finis Shale, Graham Formation

Lost Creek Dam, Jacksboro, TX

Collection: MM