crinoids

Marine animals with many arms

CRINOIDS
Scyphocrinites elegans - Crinoid with lobolith float Upper Silurian Period

Crinoids in the collection of Dan & Connie Snow : Photos by Dan Snow

Scyphocrinites elegans:  Crinoid with lobolith float Upper Silurian Period, Djebel Issoumour, Alnif, Morroco

 

CRINOIDS are know as feather stars or sea lilies and are echinoderms.  A familiar form of echinoderm is the starfish.  Crinoids are alive today in the oceans but were more prevalent in prehistory.  They live primarily in shallow water but have also been found in extreme deep sea environments.

Crinoids resemble a flower with tentacles but are in fact animals.  They are filter feeders and have feather-like appendages that strain food particles from the ocean currents.  Some live as floating organisms but most are attached to the ocean floor by the means of a segmented stem.  Most fossilized crinoids are found disarticulated in beds of numerous fragments but they also can be found in articulated forms as they once were when alive.  The first occurrences of crinoids in the fossil record as found in the Ordovician Period.

Mini Field Trip May 2017

At the end of our meeting on May 20, 2017, David said, “Hey, we should go to [redacted] to get some fossils. It’s really close by.” Several members came along and looked for fossils.

Climbing and finding fossils in Missouri

Dan, David, and Connie climbing up to the good spot. Photo by Stephanie Reed

We had to climb a little bit to get to the good spot, but once we did, there were crinoid stems, brachiopods, encrusting and branching bryozoa, and other things. It was easy to get fossils out of the ground because it had recently rained. Afterward, David suggested another place nearby to go to find composita, so some people came along for that, too.

People climbing and finding fossils in Missouri, looking for fossils

Rock climbing in the “wilderness”. Photo by Stephanie Reed

In the summer weather, we expect to go on more spontaneous field trips like this in the Kansas City area. Make sure you come to our meetings dressed for adventure* if you want to come along!

*dressed for adventure= long pants, closed toe shoes, bring gloves and bug spray

Update: We took another mini field trip in July.

Gem Show Pictures Fall 2016
KCI Expo Center outside building

The Gem and Mineral Show was once again at the KCI Expo Center

selling rocks and books convention customers

The view from behind the Association booth.

yellow keokuk geode

This yellow geode is from Keokuk in St. Francisville. They call it “Lemoness”.

crinoid Scyphocrinites elegans fossil from Morocco

This huge crinoid (Scyphocrinites elegans) fossil is from Morocco.

kansas fossils

There were also fossils from Kansas available.

tiny beads in tubes

Plenty of beads for sale at the show.

fossilized starfish britlestar ophiura morocco

Fossil Brittle Star from Morocco, sold by Schooler’s Minerals. Fun fact: a brittle star is from the class Ophiurida and starfish are from the class Asteroidea, so they are not really related to starfish at all.

official-apron

Bob models an official Association apron and holds a pufferfish.

pufferfish

The preserved pufferfish close up. It is hollow and light as a feather. I don’t think anyone bought it so it will be for sale again in March.

books about minerals and gem cutting for sale

Some of the mineral, fossil, and jewelry-related books we had for sale this year.

carved mineral skulls

Carved skulls made of semi-precious minerals.

dino agate.JPG

Is this a giant dinosaur showing off a giant agate, or a very small dinosaur with a tiny agate?

potter with pots and bowls oklahoma dirt shirt

Martin selling pottery that he made

men packing items for storage

Everything is packed up into our big blue cube until the next show.

Association Scholarship Auction

The Association always has an auction at the Gem Show which raises money for scholarships for college students studying earth science-related fields. Find out more about the scholarship and apply here: http://kcgemshow.org/2015_Scholatship%20App.html

Everyone is welcome at the auction, but it is especially popular with club members because there are snacks. It took place at 7 pm on Saturday, March 12. Here are some of the things you missed.

A landscape agate with coyotes and a moon added in copper

A sculpture by the late David Wright, award-winning silversmith and jeweler. Made with Pitcher jasper. Photo by Stephanie Reed

Crinoid fossil, about the size of a brick

A Pelagic crinoid from Morocco. Photo by David Reed

Estwing rock hammer next to polished opal

An Estwing rock hammer and a polished opal (sold separately, but they were close together on the table). Photo by David Reed

old historical map of Colorado

Vintage maps of Colorado from 1918. Photo by David Reed

Bonus: here are some more photos of club members at the show.

People buying and selling rocks

Club members Bob, Bruce, Martin, Molly, and Stephanie at the Association Booth. There were many more members present but this was as close as we could get to a group photo. Photo by David Reed

People buying and selling rocks

Bob, Bruce, and Martin at the booth looking at what there is for sale. Photo by David Reed

club members 3

Molly and Bruce, members of IGAMS. Photo by David Reed

Missouri’s State Fossil

The crinoid became the state’s official fossil on June 16, 1989, after a group of Lee’s Summit school students worked through the legislative process to promote it as a state symbol. The crinoid (Delocrinus missouriensis) is a mineralization of an animal which, because of its plant-like appearance, was called the “sea lily.” Related to the starfish and sand dollar, the crinoid lived in the ocean that once covered Missouri. There are about 600 species alive in the ocean today. (RSMo 10.090) Source: http://sos.mo.gov/symbols/symbols.asp?symbol=fossil Note to people who live in Kansas: Kansas does not have an official state gem, mineral, rock, or fossil. If you would like to change this, you can contact one of your representatives and get one. I suggest Niobrara Chalk, as in Rock Chalk Jayhawks.