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Description: | Specimen of a fossil echinoid (sea urchin) spines., Lovenechinus sp., collected from the Fell Top Limestone of Early Carboniferous, Namurian, Arnsbergian age from Dilston Castle, Dilston, Northumberland (NE England). Collected by W.D. Dinning, 1870.
The spines of sea urchins often break off the test (skeleton) and are preserved separately. The shape and patterns found on the spines is often good enough to identify the type of echinoid that they come from. In life, the spines were attached to the test by muscles and other soft tissues and were used to help the sea urchin move around on the sea floor. The spines also provided protection from predators.
The specimen was found in Northumberland.
It is from the Carboniferous period (362 - 290 million years ago) | Publisher: | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums | Subjects: | W.D. Dinning Classification: Animalia Echinodermata Invertebrata Echinoidea | Temporal: | Carboniferous period (362 - 290 million years ago) | Source: | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums | Identifier: | http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/geofinder/se... | Go to resource |
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