Crinoid

Delocrinus vastus

• Permian
•
• Wabaunsee County, Kansas, USA

Size: 3.5 cm crown

At a glance this crinoid might not seem too impressive, but a fossil is all about context and provenance. This is a partial crown from the Permian of Kansas USA, and therefore a very unusual and interesting specimen. Though the species was unidentified when I acquired it, it seems to resemble "Delocrinus vastus", which I've read is a Permian member of the genus that loses its primaxillary spines and increases in size compared to Pennsylvanian species of Delocrinus. Unfortunately I do not have access to Lane & Webster 1966, which initially defined the species.

Addendum: Peter Holterhoff has confirmed the ID of this crinoid as "Delocrinus vastus".