Museum Cast 250 mil yr CRINOID FOSSIL Ultimate Survivor

Material: Simulated Limestone
                    (PolyStone Resin)

This reproduction was molded directly  from the original crinoid fossil  using a unique, patent pending technology which exactly duplicates the object without risking direct contact.  This guarantees the safety and integrity of the original antiquity while permitting an exact duplicate to be produced.   The technique perfectly  reproduces the original artifact down to the finest  features. 

Unlike other reproduction techniques, no modern reinterpretation or recarving  of the piece was necessary. 

The original fossil is currently in a private collection and was reproduced by Echoes In Time under exclusive agreement with the owners. 

The reproduction  was individually handmade and hand finished by artisans in USA with particular attention to authenticity and craftsmanship.
 
 

STORY

Swaying gracefully in the currents, both water and time, is one of the most beautiful, enduring and enigmatic creatures to ever grace our (or perhaps any) planet.  Crinoids, which means lily like, belong to a class of animal called echinoderms, meaning spiny skinned.  Unlike their near relatives, starfish and sea urchins, those armored plant-like animals gave up the freedom of movement for permanent attachment.  The stalked, flower-like creatures, with their 5-fold symmetry, spread delicate feeding arms to filter microorganisms from the water.  These feather-like filters are clearly visible between the arms in our exact cast of a beautiful and ancient crinoid fossil. 

Don't mistake delicate beauty for weakness.  These survivors first appear in the early Cambrian Period, about half a billion years ago and survived a major extinction at the end of the Paleozoic Era 240 million years ago.  They exist in all oceans, from sunlit reefs to dark frigid waters  and to ocean depths of 13,000 feet.  Some species are 50-60 feet long, with between 5 and 200 arms each of which can reach 4 feet in length.  Today they can still be found attached to rocks at least 300 feet under the ocean, dangling elegantly on their long stem.