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Crinoid Calyx from Tennessee

Crinoids are marine animals that look like plants. Most species are extinct. They are often called sea lilies and have feathery arms that filter water for food. Part of the animal is called a "calyx". It is similar to the cup-like structure found on a flower, also called a calyx. Crinoid fossils are abundant in some places, especially segments of their long stalks, also called stems, but calyxes are harder to find. This calyx is embedded in a boulder in a quarry in Tennessee. The circular part just above the coin in the picture is where the calyx would have been connected to the stem.

Image Credits: Lori Carter