Oldest example of preserved tube feet reveals clues about the lives of 452-million-year-old sea lilies

OU paleontologists discover rare soft tissue preserved in 450 million year old fossil

University of Oklahoma paleontologists recently discovered a 450-million-year-old fossilized soft tissue from a species related to the starfish, a finding that is one of two known examples of this type of fossilization.

OU Paleontologists make ‘one in a million discovery’ of preserved soft tissue in a 450-million-year-old fossil - Shawnee News-Star

Photos/Sam Noble Museum From the Sam Noble Museum NORMAN, OKLA. – Before the oldest dinosaur, before animals or even plants had expanded onto dry land,… Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close

Oldest example of preserved tube feet reveals clues about the lives of 452-million-year-old sea lilies

Echinoderms, such as starfish, sea urchins and sea lilies, use small, flexible, tubular projections called "tube feet" for locomotion, feeding, respiration and sensory perception. Crinoids, a subgroup of echinoderms, are known to have a long fossil record, but these fossils usually preserve only hard skeletal parts, since soft tissues like tube feet are far more difficult to preserve. But researchers recently made a surprising and rare discovery…