Science

Paleontologists identify 450-million-year-old crinoid fossil preserving rare soft tissue

Researchers analyzing a museum specimen discovered tube feet that survived fossilization, offering new insights into ancient marine ecosystems.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 00:32 UTC1 reports

The short version

University of Oklahoma paleontologists discovered preserved soft tissue, specifically delicate tube feet, in a 450-million-year-old crinoid fossil.
The specimen, representing the species Dendrocrinus simcoensis, is the oldest known crinoid fossil with preserved soft tissue and only the second ever identified.
The anatomical differences between the fossil and modern crinoids help scientists understand early Paleozoic reef ecosystems and evolutionary adaptations.
Researchers emphasize that many similar discoveries may remain unrecognized within existing museum archives worldwide.

Paleontologists Dr. Lena Cole and Dr. David Wright from the University of Oklahoma identified preserved soft tissue in a 450-million-year-old crinoid fossil belonging to Dendrocrinus simcoensis.[ScienceDaily]
The fossil preserves delicate tube feet used for feeding, making it the oldest known crinoid fossil with soft tissue and only the second ever discovered out of millions of crinoid fossils.[ScienceDaily]
The specimen had been housed for years at Montréal's Musée de paléontologie et de l'évolution prior to being examined by the research team.[ScienceDaily]
According to the researchers, anatomical differences between the fossil's tube feet and modern crinoids provide new information on how early reef organisms fed and adapted to ancient ocean currents.[ScienceDaily]

The full extent of evolutionary variations across other extinct crinoid species remains unverified due to the extreme scarcity of soft tissue preservation in early echinoderm fossils.[ScienceDaily]