#small echinoid fossil

[uk-fossils]

Small Echinoid Fossil - Salenia prestensis - Cretaceous, Aptian, Morella Spain - Genuine Specimen with Certificate

This listing features a beautifully preserved small echinoid fossil of the species Salenia prestensis, sourced from the Aptian stage of the Cretaceous period in the Morella region, Castellón province, Spain. This genuine fossil showcases the characteristic features of this extinct sea urchin, offering both scientific value and aesthetic charm.

Salenia prestensis belonged to a genus of regular echinoids that lived during the Lower Cretaceous. These marine echinoderms are recognized by their spherical to slightly flattened tests, covered with tiny tubercles and spines in life. Fossils of this genus are relatively rare and sought after, particularly from the rich sedimentary beds of the Iberian Peninsula.

The exact fossil shown in the photographs is what you will receive, accompanied by a 1cm scale cube for sizing reference.

Geological & Fossil Context:

Species: Salenia prestensis (Regular Echinoid)

Type: Fossilised sea urchin (echinoderm)

Formation: Cretaceous marine limestone

Location: Morella, Castellón Province, Spain

Age: Aptian Stage, Lower Cretaceous (~125–113 million years ago)

Fossil Features:

Preservation: Excellent preservation of surface texture and overall form

Preparation: Carefully cleaned to reveal natural detail

Condition: 100% genuine and stable, suitable for display or study

Product Highlights:

Genuine Salenia prestensis echinoid fossil

Sourced from a classic Cretaceous locality in Spain

Includes a Certificate of Authenticity

An ideal piece for collectors, educators, or natural history enthusiasts

The Aptian marine deposits near Morella are well-known for producing high-quality fossils, and this echinoid is a perfect example of the biodiversity that flourished in Cretaceous seas. With its detailed morphology and historical significance, this fossil is both a decorative and educational treasure.

Please review all photos for size and detail. The item shown is the exact specimen you will receive.

Own a rare and exquisite Salenia prestensis echinoid fossil from Spain’s ancient seas.

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

The coral fragments gotten smaller now.

But the inner hyperfixiation of finding new corals now, is something bad and good both.

Like not just looking for flint echinoids, is an really good mood and welcome change to look & search for rocks and fossils.

But so small pieces, with hurting neck now. 😅

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Conflicto vs Annakacygna

Conflicto antarcticus

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Contradiction from Antarctica 

Time: 65 million years ago (Danian stage of the Paleocene epoch, Paleogene period) 

Location: Seymour Island, López de Bertodano Formation, Antarctica 

The evolutionary history of the fowl - chickens and ducks - is a controversial one, owing in no small part to the sheer diversity of basal taxa from the Galloanseran group. Existing prior to the end-Cretaceous extinction, Galloanserans went through the same adaptive radiation that everything did following the extinction - leading to a wide disparity of animals that show a weirdly diverse mosaic of traits. Conflicto is one of such taxa. Literally occurring in a fossil formation that tracks the transition from Cretaceous to Paleogene, Conflicto appears on the Paleogene side of the boundary, possibly a direct descendant of other Anseriformes that were present in Antarctica in the latest Cretaceous. But it's survivorship is not, in fact, the weirdest thing about it. Conflicto, despite being a stem-anseriform, and thus early on in the evolution of the group, had a weirdly duck/goose like beak. It was similar in structure to the bill of waterfowl, just not as wide. It also had large nostrils, much wider openings than modern ducks and geese. The problem with this is the fact that the earliest branching-off members of Anseriformes - the Screamers - have chicken-like beaks. As such, the original hypothesis for bill evolution in Anseriformes was that they started with chicken beaks, and later the group composed of geese, ducks, and magpie-geese evolved a spatulate bill the one time. However, Conflicto coming prior to the splitting off of screamers and having such a bill throws this idea into question - and this won’t be the last word on the subject, I assure you. Showcasing a partially-spatulate bill makes Conflicto an important piece of the puzzle of anseriform evolution. In its post-apocalyptic world, Conflicto was surprisingly not alone - living in a temperate to subpolar fern forest, it was able to feast on a wide variety of gastropods, bivalves, worms, and echinoids. When it comes to vertebrates, however, Conflicto was alone - the last survivor of a previously vibrant Cretaceous environment. 

Annakacygna hajimei, A. yoshiiensis

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Swan from Annaka (Hajime’s or of Yoshii-machi) 

Time: 11.5 million years ago (Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch, Neogene period)

Location: Haraichi Formation, Annaka, Japan

Annakacygna was dubbed during its research “the ultimate bird”, and honestly, I don’t even blame the scientists for doing so - I may have even done the same. Both large species of swan, A. hajimei was about the size of a black swan, and A. yoshiiensis was larger than even the mute swan. They were weird in so many ways it boggles the mind: they were adapted for filter feeding in the water, their wings and tails were so flexible they could form a cradle for their young on their backs like modern mute swangs, said tails and wings were probably great and flashy display structures, its head was extremely large weird looking and had a slightly spoon-like bill, they had wide and heavy vertebrae but still had long and flexible necks, it may have even been a flightless bird or at least a poor flier based on its sternum and coracoids, though its scapula is extremely strong and unlike flightless animals - more research is needed to better understand this aspect of its mobility. That said, it did have very short wing birds, weirdly curved and short among birds, with weirdly shaped finger bones coming together to create weirdly formed curved wings. Its hips were arched up, creating a dip in its back, and it had narrow leg bones, allowing for efficient movement in the water like living *grebes and loons*. So while it had this whole weird display structure with its wings and tail going on, and its robust but long neck, and that strangely boat-shaped body (what the actual f-), it was zooming through the water like a grebe or loon. It had a similar beak to living shovelers, possibly, and it could move its jaw back and forth in a seesaw like motion, not like any living swans. It could then filter food through its jaws via this motion, eating a variety of plankton through soft lamellae within its bill. It was probably very social, given its display structures, and communicated both vocally (imagine the power of those calls with that robust neck) and visually. Annakacygna also took care of its young, extensively, keeping them on their back protected in their wings, to the point that they may not have spent much time on land (like living loons and grebes). It wasn’t a deep diver, but was stable at sea while foraging on food and moving along the surface of the water, living primarily in the ocean. Found in a marine environment, Annakacygna lived with sharks, seals, many kinds of whales, and desmostylians.   

[earthstory]

Solnhofen Plattenkalk - rare and beautiful.

For large parts of the Jurassic about 155 million years ago, areas of western Europe were covered by warm, shallow seas. Associated with these is one of the most valuable fossil sites known on Earth. The Solnhofen Plattenkalk or Solnhofen Limestone in Bavaria, Germany, is a Late Jurassic ‘Konservat- Largerstätte’ that preserves a rare and unique assemblage of fossil biota.

During the Late Jurassic the area occupied by the Solnhofen Plattenkalk was an archipelago at the edge of the Tethys Ocean. Extensive coral and sponge reef systems created numerous protected lagoons with limited recharge from the open ocean. As salinity in the lagoons rose high enough for the resulting brine to be toxic to life and since the deepest waters were anoxic, many ordinary scavengers were absent. In this environment of soft, fine sediments the remains of animals living around the lagoons are exceptionally well preserved.

The fossil assemblages are highly diverse, with jellyfish, worms, ammonites, bivalves, prawns, shrimp, lobsters, barnacles, crinoids, echinoids and fish all preserved. Horseshoe crab fossils are also preserved and often found at the distal end of their own tracks, formed as they walked to their demise.

Although there is great diversity from the marine species there is also an abundance of terrestrial life preserved. Fossils of insects, plants, small dinosaurs, lizards, crocodilians, and pterosaurs are all found. The fossils from the Solnhofen Plattenkalk are not numerous, but they are exceptional, including delicate dragonfly wings and over 600 identifiable species of dinosaur. This Konservat-Largerstätte gives an unprecedented view of a complete Jurassic ecosystem.

Does anyone have any kind of fossils of their own? Add some pics into the comments below, we would love to see them.

~ JM

Photo Credit: https://www.paleodirect.com/pgset2/f064.htm For more information: Fossilmuseum.net - http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Fossil_Sites/solnhofen/Solnhofen_Lagerstatt.htm The Solnhofen Limestone of Germany - http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mesozoic/jurassic/solnhofen.html Solnhofen Limestone - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/553476/Solnhofen-Limestone Munnecke, A., Westphal, H., & KÖLBL‐EBERT, M. A. R. T. I. N. A. (2008). Diagenesis of plattenkalk: examples from the Solnhofen area (Upper Jurassic, southern Germany). Sedimentology, 55(6), 1931-1946.

[prairiewitchy]

thoughtsatthewitchinghour

replied to your post

“Do you believe that extinct animals/plants (perhaps those even...”

The Shepherd's Crown - a fossilised sea urchin - was used as a protective amulet see: http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/fossils/echinoid.htm They're found in archaeological sites ranging from the paleolithic through to Early Medieval.

For yesterday’s anon, thought I’d bring this out of the comments. From their source:

In England, echinoids have been called Sugar Loaves, Fairy Loaves, Shepherd's Crowns and Pixies' Helmets. They look rather like small round loaves of bread. They were used as charms to help the baking of bread. It was thought that fairy loaves protected families against witchcraft, so they always have bread. They were once frequently displayed on the windowsills of Sussex cottages as good luck charms, to protect the cottage from being struck by lightning, or for predicting rain (this could be true, as moisture present in the atmosphere may condense on the fossil first). They were also supposed to keep milk fresh. Another name for echicoids was eagle stones, as the marks on them resemble claw marks.

[summervanlife]

17 June

A fast conversion as soon as we were up and dressed today. We wanted to have breakfast somewhere a little more pleasant. Refilling the van water at service station on route we eventually stopped at a turning spot halfway across the Holy Island causeway. Cereal for breakfast and then onto lunch time picnic making. Cian was in charge of cutting salad, Jay in charge of hot drinks and Clare producing wraps. All sorted we found the start of a cycle route to Bewick-upon-Tweed. Nia, Cian and Clare were ejected from the van with their bikes and set off on the 11 mile trail along the coast. Jay drove to Berwick and found one of a few car parks without height restrictions. Leaving the van He headed of to meet the gang halfway. Shortly after midday we found each other on the track. The trio had enjoyed a pleasant ride in the sun. Jay had spotted an old military bunker (quite well spotted considering the level of complex camouflage adorning it). We explored it and climbed on it, before cycling a little further to the beach and our lunch spot. Once on the beach a series of lime kilns caught our eye - Nia and Cian were off to check them out. The incoming tide made for a good game of chicken, whilst the rocks themselves proved hosts to some massive fossils. All of us spent ages looking at the cool pebbles and shells. Nia & Cian found fossil fragments of Crinoid (a worm like animal, Cian's appeared to be star shaped in cross section), Clare found a small but complete Echinoid and between us we found some long, complete Belemnite Gaurds (large pointed worms). This was a good fossil beach. The ride continued into the afternoon as we descended into Berwick. Nia and Cian made a swift departure to the nearby playground as soon as we reached the van. Jay and Clare loaded up the bikes and made a cup of tea, enjoying the seafront. Jay waited while the others went to use the toilets, he was delighted to hear that Nia and Cian had passed on their penny pusher scams to their mother during a quick diversion into an amusement arcade they coerced her into on their way back! Today is a wash day! Even Dirty Pants Frank is due a change! In order to find a suitable campsite with decent facilities, we relocated to Berwick harbour so we could to go to the Tourist Info. Berwick is fortified by a surrounding wall, designed to defend the area from Scottish attack in the 1500's. Today the wall remains largely intact with visitors able to walk along much of the top. We took the wall route as far as as possible before ducking into town as quickly as we could - we were against the clock at 1645hr with the Tourist info closing at five. We made it with ample time to spare (9mins). The nice lady talked Nia and Clare through some local options while Jay and Cian sat down in the library and swotted up on rocky seashore life (turns out Jay was wrong the other day about the Sea Slug - it was a Sea Hare! - should have been obvious really as we watched it bounce off into the deeper water). With a fistful of info Clare made some 'phone calls. Jay, Nia & Cian took a walk down the pier toward the lighthouse. Another brief lesson on maritime navigation brought us to and from the end of the pier. Clare had drawn 3 blanks from the list but then drew an ace. At £30 this was way beyond our normal budget for a wash day, but we hadn't even been I the sea recently! 'Pot-a-doodle-do' or 'Wigwam holiday' was only a few minute drive from where we were parked. We pulled up and a lady explained where to park. She also showed Nia and Cian where the pedal go-kart track was! Free! As long as they wanted! The site had laundry facilities and a kitchen with dinning area. It was nice to cook and eat under a proper roof. Nia and Cian spent over 1.5hrs on the karts. Nia genuinely got to the stage where she could complete a whole circuit with her eyes closed the entire time. The first time Jay saw her do it he thought she must be cheating so he rode in front of her looking back all the way - she did it! Girl is a witch! Hot showers for all. It's sometimes difficult to know when to stop washing! We all felt a million dollars afterwards. Jay even found the missing sock from our last laundry session tucked into the leg of his clean shorts - fate is with us today! Sitting down to dinner at a proper dinner table was quite a novelty. We still used our sporks - they're like faithful friends now. Waiting for the washing to finish meant we could play a few games of Perudo and Spoons before sleepily plodding over to the van for a chapter of Eragon and then sleep.

[celticwaterwitch]

Fossils are a big part of my Water Magic Practice. 💙 Fossils are not only ancient but they are found all over the world. Working with them brings an ancient energy to your workings. They are the preserved remains a water creature, an ancestral spirit. 💙 Fossils have been and still are wonderful magical tools. Some fossils are shells (like the one in the image) and can be found on the seashore. 💙 Others are found in some of the strangest places. These can include the Desert, cliffs, large rocks or bolder that have been moved. Even some older houses who used stone as a foundation can have fossils in them! 💙 My first fossil was an ammonite that I dug out of a porch slab that was my grandmother and grandfather home. 💙 Lime Regis in the south of England is the place where a young girl named Marry Anning found the first dionsour fossil. (In the modern era) 💙 I visited there as a young girl and remember the huge ammonites that covered the ground on the beach where she first spotted the giant creature preserved in stone. 💙 Today my fossil collection is quite extensive having many Megalodon and sharks teeth as well as Belemnites, Orthoceras, Echinoid, and of course shells! 💙 In this photo are a small collection of fossils I gathered after spending a week on the Chesapeake Bay. Fossil scallop shell, various sharks teeth as well as fossilized Stingray barbs. 💙 It's so hard to pick which is my favorite fossil, but Ammonites will always be at the top of the list! . . . . . . . . . . . #fossil #naturalwitch #witchesofig #witchesofinstagram #seawitch #seamagic #fossilmagic #WaterPriestess #waterwitch #pagansofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CDt6JEoH2Aa/?igshid=1oytrpngsn8rk

[fernfmp2019]

Local folklore: Farisees

The fairies of Suffolk were known as ‘farisees’ (pronounced like ‘Pharisees’, and frequently confused with Jesus’ opponents in the New Testament by illiterate parishioners), and they were said to be small, with sandy hair and blue eyes. The surviving evidence suggests that traditional fairylore had largely disappeared from Suffolk by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, surviving largely in customs such as the keeping of a ‘farisee loaf’ (really an echinoid fossil resembling a small loaf) next to the bread oven to encourage the bread to rise. Horsemen also continued to hang ‘hagstones’ in stables to prevent the farisees riding the horses during the night. However, small numbers of people continued (and still continue) to claim they have encountered fairies in the county. I came across one claim that a young girl saw fairies in the flames that consumed a burning factory in Stowmarket in the 1960s – perhaps a residual memory of the town’s association with the fairies.

[uk-fossils]

Eusalenia Fossil Echinoid | Small Jurassic Sea Urchin Oxfordshire UK | Genuine w/ COA

Fossil Type & Species: Eusalenia (small fossil echinoid – sea urchin)

Geological Formation: Middle Oxford Clay Formation

Geological Period: Middle Jurassic (approx. 163 – 157 million years ago)

Locality: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Detailed Description: This listing features a well-preserved fossil echinoid from the extinct genus Eusalenia, a group of small, irregular sea urchins that inhabited the shallow marine environments of the Jurassic seas. This particular specimen was collected from the Middle Oxford Clay deposits in Oxfordshire, UK, an area celebrated for its rich and diverse marine fossil content.

The fossil echinoid exhibits classic characteristics of Eusalenia: a gently domed test (shell), small size, and bilateral symmetry, with subtle surface features and defined plate structures. These features reflect an adaptation to soft seafloor sediments, where these echinoids lived and fed as part of a thriving Mesozoic marine ecosystem.

Geological Insight: The Oxford Clay Formation represents a mid-Jurassic marine environment laid down in a warm, shallow epicontinental sea. It is particularly well known for its abundance of marine fossils, including ammonites, marine reptiles, and a variety of invertebrates like echinoids. The preservation within the fine clay matrix ensures that even small and delicate specimens like Eusalenia can retain excellent detail.

Item Specifics:

Genus: Eusalenia

Fossil Type: Echinoid (Sea Urchin)

Condition: Natural, unrestored

Geological Period: Middle Jurassic

Formation: Oxford Clay

Location: Oxfordshire, UK

Size: Please see scale photo with 1cm squares

Item: Exact specimen shown in listing

Authenticity Guarantee: All of our fossils are 100% genuine specimens and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. Each piece is carefully selected for quality and scientific interest. The fossil shown in the images is the actual one you will receive.

Shipping & Packaging: Shipped securely with protective packaging and tracking. An excellent item for collectors, educators, or anyone fascinated by Earth’s prehistoric past.

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

Found now this nice small brachiopode shell fossil. From all sides in nicely gray black flint.

Finally in one piece with an thin mantle shell and it’s not an raw flint imprint!!

Perhaps an small fossil of an Zittelina orbis

The same location with the area from last pic who was laying the quarz vessel like rock, on this rich stone road near the crossing of two streets near the fields.

Nearby the dirt corner in which i found the brown echinoid last June.

I have overseen it last time with all the stones.

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

Was on the fossil search with my father.

These are the recently new finds.

Finally we found together an great good sized sea urchin fossil in orange chert, not damaged. Only an quick search for rocks in an short time back to home afterwards. Good time.

Found these echinoids all on an new location, an piele in the woods. With the round flint Wallsteine and the here called „Hexenschüssel“ of cemented sandstone with iron inclusion or seperated with it.

The small echinoid and the imprint of an brachiopod shell was buried on the forest field road tracks. Looking out every road or place with littered round stones or flint on sandy places.

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

Small update from today Monday, quick one hour fossil hunt, searching for an handful of colored chert shards, many in red and some banded chert collected. For starring future pics.

Showing you all the new damaged echinoid flint core, an Galerites vulgaris, likely light gray, with the red chert shard with an new mussel imprint.

Resembles strong one of an previous mussel imprint of an brachiopode.

With the brittle chunk of rock, clay with tiny mussel likely musselchalk conglomerate with imprints of snails. If soaked with mineral water it would likely breaks apart so fragile it seems.

Has the form and size of an small potato.

[uk-fossils]

Hyposalenia Regular Echinoid Fossil - Greensand, Cretaceous, Seaton Devon UK - Genuine Specimen with Certificate

This listing features a well-preserved Hyposalenia regular echinoid fossil, discovered on 24 March 2025 by our expert fossil hunting team Alister and Alison at Seaton, Devon, United Kingdom. This small and beautifully detailed sea urchin fossil has been expertly cleaned, prepped, and treated by Alison, ensuring excellent preservation and scientific integrity.

Hyposalenia is a genus of regular echinoids (sea urchins) from the Cretaceous period, typically found in Greensand deposits. These echinoids are characterised by their symmetrical, globular test and neatly arranged tubercles that once supported spines. They lived in shallow marine environments, contributing to the rich biodiversity of the Cretaceous seas.

The fossil pictured is the exact specimen you will receive, shown alongside a 1cm scale cube for accurate sizing.

Geological & Fossil Context:

Species: Hyposalenia sp. (Regular echinoid)

Type: Fossilised marine invertebrate (sea urchin)

Formation: Greensand

Location: Seaton, Devon, United Kingdom

Age: Cretaceous (~145–66 million years ago)

Fossil Features:

Preservation: Excellent, with complete shell and tubercle detail

Preparation: Professionally cleaned, stabilised, and treated by Alison

Condition: Ready for study, education, or display

Product Highlights:

100% Authentic Fossil Echinoid

Discovered and prepared by Alister & Alison

Supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity

Ideal for collectors, educators, or fossil enthusiasts

The Greensand deposits of Seaton are well known for yielding marine fossils, and this Hyposalenia echinoid is a rare and valuable example. Its beautiful symmetry and preservation make it both a scientifically significant and aesthetically pleasing addition to any collection.

Please consult the listing photos for full sizing and details. The specimen shown is the exact one you will receive.

Add this genuine Cretaceous echinoid to your fossil collection today with this exceptional Hyposalenia fossil from Devon.

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

Found recently in the last hour some new finds of gravel bed fossils. Just tiny common fossils.

Some sandstone chalkstone pieces again with traces of 🐚 & some small corals.

No echinoids, but now heading home for washing them in mineral water 💦 with some afternoon coffee as an extra treat. ☕️

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

It's the time to coming out little fossil.

On the side of this chunk of rock where 2 other half located, still seeing the molds of them.

One is still intact vs the chiseled out.

Have chiseled one small half of an mussel out of its sedimentary rock. Another is still in it.

On the sides where two molds of previous fallen out long time ago echinoid & mussel imprints.

Sadly I have found nothing on my rock hounding search for fossils or flint nothing new from the older place where washed up from raining, so I have to chisel on the rock for this little Fossil Friday task on the end of February

[echinoid-fossils-on-the-rocks]

New small echinoid found !!!

Found this small echinoid flint fossil yesterday, among the two wallsteine of flint stones.

They were laying buried in the thick muddy earth, on an spot in which last year was an rock earth pile piled up, now moving down.

They were stuck in the muddy earth under the vehicle tracks, grateful the muddy or frozen earth had protected them for crushing from the weight of the machines loaded with the weight of the rocks etc.

Plan to revisit the spot after increasing rain finding perhaps something for Fossil Friday.