An image that recently went viral on social media depicts a nearly intact set of fossils of a sea creature that lived 280 million years ago. Many people look at it and immediately confirm that this is definitely an alien fossil. But what exactly is this animal?
Jimbacrinus fossils suggest they were deep-sea animals that flourished in what is now Western Australia during the Permian period. They grew to about 9 inches long.
In fact, the fossil in question belongs to the species Jimbacrinus crinoids, or sea lilies, and was found in Western Australia. These marine creatures lived around 280 million years ago, during the Permian period, and their fossils provide valuable insights into the evolution and diversity of life on Earth.
The fossils of this species first came to public attention through an image that was widely shared on social media. The image shows them arranged in a group, suggesting that they were buried in the sedimentary rock of their natural habitat. The fossils are believed to have been found near Gascoyne Junction, a remote area in Western Australia known for its geological diversity.
Jimbacrinus has five arms composed of tentacle-like structures. Like all crinoids, it uses its outstretched arms to feed on small animals and particles in the water. Crinoids have a long history. They are the first echinoderms to appear in the fossil record and have maintained their original structure throughout their long history. Crinoids were extremely common in the Paleozoic.
When the Midwest Times investigated the source of the image, they discovered that it had been posted on the website of a US fossil dealer. The dealer claims that the fossils were obtained legally and can be sold to interested buyers. This raises some questions about the legal status of fossil collecting and trading in Australia, where laws on collecting and selling fossils vary greatly from state to state.
David Gear, a representative of the Western Australian Museum, clarified the legal status of fossil collecting in Western Australia. According to Gear, it is legal to collect and export fossils under certain circumstances, but collectors must obtain the necessary permits and follow the guidelines for responsible fossil collecting. Gear also emphasizes the importance of leaving fossils in their natural environment whenever possible, as they provide important scientific data about the history of life on Earth.
Fossils of this alien-looking species were abundant in the shallow seas that covered much of Western Australia during the Permian period – first discovered in 1949 by the manager of the Jimba Jimba cattle station, for which the genus is named. J Bostock (after whom the species is named) found fossils of Jimbacrinus crinoids in the Cundlego Formation, a sandstone formation created by deposition from floods and storms during the Early Permian period, around 275 million years ago.
This formation is found along a dry creek bed and contains fossil remains of many species that inhabited the seabed during that era. Interestingly, these fossils are often found complete and have not been discovered anywhere else.
The fossil deposit near the Gasocyne Junction provides a glimpse into the extinction events of the Permian Period, at the end of the “Great Destruction.” It was the largest and most severe of the five known mass extinction events during recorded geologic time, causing more than 90 percent of all marine species to disappear from the oceans of our planet at that time. Rising global temperatures led to warmer, more acidic waters, increasing concentrations of methane and metals and severely reducing oxygen levels in the water, making it difficult for marine animals to survive. However, a small percentage of crinoids survived the extinction event, and to this day, there are still more than 600 species of crinoids living on our planet.
Another interesting fact is that crinoid fossils are the inspiration for the Sentinel image in the movie The Matrix. Although the Sentinels initially had some limited functions, they eventually evolved into machines that scour the underground metropolis for humans and Zion ships.
The Jimbacrinus crinoid fossils found near Gascoyne Junction are particularly notable because they are among the most complete and intact fossils on our planet, which could allow scientists to study the soft tissues and internal structures in greater detail.
Source: Animalia; Unbelievable; ZME
