Ontogenetic data for Erisocrinus typus

Crinoids were major constituents of Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) marine ecosystems, but their rapid disarticulation rates after death resulted in few well-preserved specimens, limiting the study of their growth. This is amplified for cladids, who had among the highest disarticulation rates of all Paleozoic crinoids, due to the relatively loose suturing of the calyx plates. However, Erisocrinus typus Meek and Worthen, 1865, has been found in unusually large numbers, most preserved as cups, but some as nearly complete crowns, in the Barnsdall Formation in Oklahoma. The Barnsdall Formation, a Koncentrat Lagerstätte, is predominantly composed of fine- to medium-grained sandstone, overlain by mudstone and shale; severe compaction of the fossils in the mudstone and shale layer in this formation allowed for exceptional preservation of the plates. Herein, we summarize a growth study based on ten crowns of E. typus, showcasing a well-defined growth series of this species from the Barnsdall..., Measurements of specimens were made through ImageJ. Raw values of all measurements reported herein. 
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