Rhenocrinus ramosissimus JAEKEL, 1906

Taxonomy

Crinoid

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Crinoidea Miller 1821
Order: incertae sedis
Family: Incertae sedis
Genus: Rhenocrinus
Species: Rhenocrinus ramosissimus
Author Citation JAEKEL, 1906

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Paleozoic
Period: Devonian
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Early
International Age: Emsian (early)

Stratigraphy

Hunsrück Slate Group
Kaub Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Width: 8 cm

Location

Eschenbach-Bocksberg Quarry
Bundenbach
Rhineland- Palatinate
Germany

• emsian
• tff-oilshale-ec2151
• kaub
• bundenbach
• hunsrück
• rhenocrinus
• eschenbach
• devonian

Comments

Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org.

Description of the genus by Südkamp 2017, p. 116: "The small cup is conical. The long slender arms are unbranched or may have a single isotomous division high above the cup. So, there are 7 - 10 arms present. Between the long, stout alternating ramules there are two brachials. The anal sac is large and elongate and consists of several vertical rows of small hexagonal plates."

There are two species known: R. ramosissimus and R. lobatus. The difference is respectively in their round and similar, and pentagonal alternate, stems. The cup of R. lobatus is more tapered. 

Common in the Rosengarten quarry. Elsewhere very rare or absent.

Identified by oilshale.

References:

Schmidt, W. E. (1934). Die Crinoideen des Rheinischen Devons. Teil I: Die Crinoideen des Hunsrückschiefer. Abhandlungen der Preussischen Geologischen Landesanstalt, N. F., 163, 1-149.
Südkamp, W. (2017): Life in the Devonian. Identification book Hunsrück Slate fossils. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil. München 2017. ISBN978-3-89937-221-2.