Prehistroic Models: Echinodermata
Echinodermata means “spiny or hedgehog skin” consist of sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and crinoids “sea lillyies”. Most animals have bilateral symmetry, adults echinoderms have pentameral (five-point) symmetry. The earliest members of this group appears during the Cambrian Period over 500 million years ago. The four features that define echinoderms are as followed: 1. Calcareous endoskeleton (calcium based) 2. Water vascular system 3. Mutable collagenous tissue 4. Radial symmetrical.
To see my fossil echinoderms click on the group name sea stars/brittle stars, sea urchins/sand dollars/sea cucumbers, and crinoids/blastoids/cystoids. To see my modern echinoderm specimen click on the these names sea urchins/sand dollars and sea stars/brittle stars.
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata – Superclass: Asterozoa – Class: Asteroidea
(sea stars formally “starfish”)
Triassic to Present
Common name: Sea Star
Previous name: Formerly “Star Fish”
Time range: Triassic to Holocene
Common name: Sea Star
Previous name: Formerly “Star Fish”
Time range: Triassic to Holocene
Common name: Sea Star
Previous name: Formerly “Star Fish”
Time range: Triassic to Holocene
Common name: Sea Star
Previous name: Formerly “Star Fish”
Time range: Triassic to Holocene
Common name: Sea Star
Previous name: Formerly “Star Fish”
Time range: Triassic to Holocene
Common name: Sea Star
Previous name: Formerly “Star Fish”
Time range: Triassic to Holocene
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata – Class: Rhombifera – Order: Dichoporita – Family: Pleurocystitdae
(rhombiferan echinoderm)
Ordovician
Genus: Pleurocystites
Meaning: “rib bag or side bladder”
Time range: Late Ordovician
Locality: Europe and North America
Size: 2 centimeters (3/4 inch)
Diet: Plankton
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata – Subphylum: Echinozoa – Class: Holothuroidea
(sea cucumber)
Ordovician to Present
