''Agaricocrinus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of
extinct crinoid
Crinoids are marine animals that make up the Class (biology), class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their adult form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or coma ...
s, belonging to the family
Coelocrinidae.
These stationary upper-level epifaunal suspension feeders lived in the
Carboniferous period and in the
Osagean
The Mississippian ( , also known as Lower Carboniferous or Early Carboniferous) is a subperiod in the geologic timescale or a subsystem of the geologic record. It is the earlier of two subperiods of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly ...
age of United States, from 353.8 to 345.0 Ma.
Selected species
*'' Agaricocrinus americanus'' Roemer
*'' Agaricocrinus splendens'' Miller and Gurley
Description
Like extant
Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to:
* Extant hereditary titles
* Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English
* Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...
crinoids, ''Agaricocrinus'' species was anchored to a hard surface by a holdfast out of which grew an articulated stalk. On top of this was a calyx
Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to:
Biology
* Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...
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.
References
Prehistoric crinoid genera
Carboniferous crinoids
Extinct animals of the United States
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