The palaeoecology of two Scottish encrinites: Jurassic crinoid assemblages from the Trotternish Peninsula, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Abstract

Despite a long history of investigation, articulate crinoids from the Jurassic of Scotland have not received great attention compared to their counterparts in Southern England or continental Europe; this is thought to be largely due to poor preservation. Two examples of 'local' encrinites (rocks almost entirely composed of crinoids debris), one from the Pliensbachian and the other from the Aalenian/Bajocian from the Isle of Skye, are shown to consist of columnals of Hispidocrinus cf. schlumbergeri and Balanocrinus donovani respectively. They represent local encrinites that have been deposited parautochthonously; one in a proximal, and the other in a more offshore low energy environment. This demonstrates that even limited encrinite material can not only be assigned systematically, but can also be used to reconstruct the original palaeoenvironments that the crinoids inhabited.