# Encrinus

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Extinct genus of crinoids

Not to be confused with [*Encrinurus*](/source/Encrinurus).

Encrinus Temporal range: Late Silurian-Late Triassic, 428.2–215.6 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Encrinus fossils on display at the Paläontologisches Museum München Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Crinoidea Order: †Encrinida Family: †Encrinidae Genus: †Encrinus Andreae, 1764[2]

***Encrinus*** is an [extinct](/source/Extinction) [genus](/source/Genus) of [crinoids](/source/Crinoid), and "one of the most famous".[3] It lived during the [Late Silurian](/source/Homerian)-[Late Triassic](/source/Late_Triassic), and its [fossils](/source/Fossil) have been found in Europe.[1]

## History

Fossils of *Encrinus* went by several names in [Germany](/source/Germany) before the establishment of modern paleontology. In [Lower Saxony](/source/Lower_Saxony), they were called *Sonnenräder* ("sun wheels"), while in [Thuringia](/source/Thuringia) and [Hesse](/source/Hesse) they were called *Bonifatiuspfennige* ("[Saint Boniface](/source/Saint_Boniface)'s pennies"). In southwestern Germany, they went by *Hexengeld* ("witches' money"). The animal was correctly reconstructed for the first time in 1729, although various parts of the animal had been described before that.[4]

*Encrinus* was described in 1764 by Johann Gerhard Reinhard Andreae. It was assigned to the order [Encrinida](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Encrinida&action=edit&redlink=1) by [Jack Sepkoski](/source/Jack_Sepkoski) in 2002.[2]

## Description

*E. liliiformis* with parts labeled, based on [Douglas et al. 2009](#CITEREFDouglas_et_al.2009)

*Encrinus* possessed a large cup-[1] or crown-like structure at the top of its body, which has been described as resembling "an unopened [tulip](/source/Tulip)."[3] This "cup" could be between 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) long. The structure displayed "five-fold [symmetry](/source/Symmetry)" and had a slightly [concave](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concave) base. It bore ten arms[1] (although in some species, such as *E. carnallis*, it bore 20),[5] which in turn bore many small branches (pinnules). When opened, the arms and pinnules formed a kind of "feeding fan", used to catch prey such as [plankton](/source/Plankton).[1] "Microscopic interpinnular channels" suggest that *Encrinus* may have been an active [filter feeder](/source/Filter_feeder), creating its own currents by beating its [cilia](/source/Cilium). It is known that the arms could shut tightly in life (most *Encrinus* fossils are found in this position), but it is difficult to estimate the greatest angle at which they could open. It is possible that specimens recorded as being widest open demonstrate the normal angle of opening in life.[3] A [tegmen](/source/Tegmen) ("small leathery dome") covered the mouth and topped the cup. Any particles of food that the animal caught would be passed down the arms and below the tegmen via grooves, eventually leading to cilia, which in turn led to the mouth. When viewed from above, the stem was circular in shape. Large and small [ossicles](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ossicle) covered the stem, creating a pattern of frequent small ossicles sandwiched between the large ones.[1] The stem did not possess any [cirri](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cirrus), and may have been held in place by roots of some sort. The breakage of the stem during the animal's life was a common occurrence, and it often survived long enough to form a new end on its shortened stem.[3] Being from the [Middle Triassic](/source/Middle_Triassic), *Encrinus* is the last known from its group of crinoids, as most others died out during the [Permian–Triassic extinction event](/source/Permian%E2%80%93Triassic_extinction_event).[1]

## See also

- [Paleontology portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Paleontology)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dk_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dk_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dk_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dk_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-dk_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-dk_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-dk_1-6) Palmer, Douglas; et al. (2009). *Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth* (first American ed.). New York: [Dorling Kindersley](/source/Dorling_Kindersley). p. 205. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7566-5573-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7566-5573-0).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-paleodb_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-paleodb_2-1) ["*Encrinus*"](https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=32698). *[The Paleobiology Database](/source/Paleobiology_Database)*. Retrieved March 21, 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-arm_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-arm_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-arm_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-arm_3-3) Jefferies, R. P. S. (1989). ["The arm structure and mode of feeding of the Triassic crinoid *Encrinus liliiformis*"](https://www.palass.org/sites/default/files/media/publications/palaeontology/volume_32/vol32_part3_pp483-497.pdf) (PDF). *[Palaeontology](/source/Palaeontology_(journal))*. **32** (3): 483–497. Also accessible through the [Biodiversity Heritage Library](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/173960).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fc_4-0)** Hess, Hans; Ausich, William I.; Brett, Carlton E.; Simms, Michael J. (1999). ["Triassic Muschelkalk of Central Europe"](https://books.google.com/books?id=TTKhrnw23MkC&pg=PA164) (Google eBook). *Fossil Crinoids* (illustrated ed.). [Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press). pp. 164–7. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-45024-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-45024-1). Retrieved March 23, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fi_5-0)** Lehmann, Ulrich; Hillmer, Gero (1983). [*Fossil Invertebrates*](https://books.google.com/books?id=9jE4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA279) (Google eBook). Cambridge Earth Science Series. [Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press). p. 279. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-27028-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-27028-6). Retrieved March 23, 2012.

## External links

- Media related to [*Encrinus*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Encrinus) at Wikimedia Commons

Taxon identifiers Encrinus Wikidata: Q3725079 CoL: 8FYPJ GBIF: 4872311 Open Tree of Life: 4148165 Paleobiology Database: 32698 Plazi: 660F8945-8664-E26E-8CE8-0E69EB23B67C WoRMS: 480263 ZooBank: B730FBAE-1C7B-47BC-9BA5-A638B765BE43

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Encrinus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encrinus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encrinus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.