Scientists Find 450-Million-Year-Old Crinoid Soft-Tissue Fossil, Only 2nd Ever Recorded
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 7
Scientists Find 450-Million-Year-Old Crinoid Soft-Tissue Fossil, Only 2nd Ever Recorded
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 7
Summary
A 450-million-year-old Dendrocrinus simcoensis fossil found in a small Montreal museum collection is only the second crinoid ever discovered with preserved soft tissues, according to a new paper in Royal Society Open Science.
The specimen is older than the only previous soft-tissue crinoid example and preserves tube feet, a rare feature that can reveal how these ancient marine animals fed, moved and interacted.
Researchers said the preservation likely occurred after the animal was rapidly buried in fine mud, cutting off oxygen until minerals coated the soft tissues.
By comparing the fossil with related specimens and living crinoids, the team concluded Paleozoic crinoids may have fed and behaved very differently from their modern relatives.
Because soft-tissue fossilization is exceptionally rare, the find could sharpen reconstructions of early marine ecosystems and how evolutionary patterns shaped today’s biosphere.
On July 7, 2026, scientists announced the discovery of the oldest known fossilized soft tissue: the delicate tube feet of the ancient crinoid Dendrocrinus simcoensis, dating back 450–452 million years to the Ordovician period. This rare find, made by a University of Oklahoma team while examining museum collections in Montréal, highlights the immense scientific value of museum archives. The exceptional preservation of these soft tissues offers new insights into ancient marine life and evolution, marking only the second time such soft tissue has been found in crinoid fossils and deepening our understanding of early ecosystems.