Aethocrinus

{{Short description|Extinct genus of echinoderms}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = Lower Ordovician | taxon = Aethocrinus }}

'''''Aethocrinus''''' is an early-diverging crinoid reported from the Early Ordovician.<ref>{{Cite journal | url = https://www.jstor.org/stable/1302696| jstor = 1302696| title = An Interpretation of the Crinoid ''Aethocrinus moorei'' Ubaghs| last1 = Philip| first1 = G. M.| last2 = Strimple| first2 = H. L.| journal = Journal of Paleontology| year = 1971| volume = 45| issue = 3| pages = 491–493}}</ref> Its five arms bifurcate.

The contested ''Echmatocrinus'' notwithstanding, it is a candidate for the earliest true member of the crinoid class – though not being a member of the crown group, quite where within the stem group to draw the distinction between eocrinoids and crinoids is a somewhat arbitrary decision.

== References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Crinoids