Animal fossilisé - Echinoderm - 4.8 cm - 3.8 cm

Late Cambrian Echinoderm Fossil – Brief Introduction

This fossil is an early echinoderm from the Late Cambrian (approx. 500 million years ago), likely belonging to the class Eocrinoidea (eocrinoids), one of the most ancient groups of echinoderms on Earth.

Preserved in purplish-red fine-grained shale, this sedimentary rock represents a shallow‑marine, oxidized environment typical of the Late Cambrian strata of the North China Craton. The fossil measures about 4–5 cm in total length, retaining clear outlines of a stem, articulated arms, and a theca (calyx). It illustrates the key ecological traits of early echinoderms—sessile, filter‑feeding lifestyle: the stem served for attachment to the seafloor, while the articulated arms captured food particles.

As a critical witness to echinoderm evolution following the Cambrian explosion, this fossil not only documents the morphological transition from a “sac‑like” body plan to a differentiated stalk‑arm structure, but also provides important evidence for studying paleo‑marine environments and biodiversity evolution.