Online field guide to British Middle Jurassic echinoderms

Abstract

This online guide provides a key to echinoderm fossils commonly encountered in the Middle Jurassic rocks of Great Britain. It consists of a brief text to be included in the paper copy of the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association (PGA) and a comprehensive guide attached to the paper copy as an electronic supplement (at doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2011.03.001). The electronic/on-line guide not only illustrates fossils commonly found as complete specimens such as regular and irregular echinoid tests, but also those examples that tend to occur as isolated ossicles such as ’star stones’ and are often thought to be indeterminate. Unlike similar palaeontological guides, the aim of this taxonomic review is to allow the user to identify columnals, plates, spines, and occasional complete echinoid test or starfish fossil to generic level using relatively jargon free semi-technical diagnostic descriptions. All specialist terms are fully explained in a glossary at the end.