Delocrinus

{{short description|Genus of animal}}

{{Automatic taxobox

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| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Carboniferous|Permian}}

| taxon = Delocrinus

| authority = Miller and Gurley, 1890

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Delocrinus is a genus of extinct crinoids, belonging to the family Catacrinidae.{{cite web|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=32132&is_real_user=1|title=Delocrinus|website=Palaeobiology Database}} Specimens have been found in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Arizona, Iowa, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Eperisocrinus missouriensis, formerly Delocrinus missouriensis, was made the state fossil of Missouri in 1989.{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.mo.gov/symbols/symbols.asp?symbol=fossil |title=Missouri's State Fossil |publisher=Office of the Secretary of State, Missouri|access-date = 6 April 2023}}

Description

Like extant crinoids, Delocrinus species was anchored to a hard surface by a holdfast out of which grew an articulated stalk. On top of this was a calyx with a number of feather-like arms. Each arm bore short branches known as pinnules and from these cirri were extended which sifted plankton from the water flowing past.{{cite book |title=Zoology |url=https://archive.org/details/zoology0000dori |url-access=registration |last1=Dorit |first1=R. L. |last2=Walker |first2=W. F. |last3=Barnes |first3=R. D. |year=1991 |publisher=Saunders College Publishing |isbn=978-0-03-030504-7 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/zoology0000dori/page/790 790–792] }}

References