A genus of extinct sea lilies or crinoids that lived during the Paleozoic era, characterized by a long segmented stem and feather-like arms.
Latin scientific name derived from Greek enkrinon (lily). The genus name Encrinus was formally established in the 18th century for these distinctive fossils.
Encrinus fossils from the Triassic period are so spectacularly preserved that you can sometimes see individual segments stacked like coins—ancient seafloor 'freeze-frames' spanning millennia!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.