Melocrinites sp. scale in cms CLASS - Crinoidea ORDER - Monobathrida FAMILY - Melocrinitidae GENUS/SPECIES - Melocrinites sp. ROCK UNIT - West Falls Group AGE - Upper Devonian (370 million years old) LOCALITY - Danby, New York, USA This crown and upper stem portion are preserved as a "mold", the impression left in rock after the calcium carbonate skeleton has dissolved out. This is a common state of fossil preservation in the porous rock types, such as sandstone. Both groundwaters and surface waters can more easily pass through and remove the skeletal minerals in such rocks. The stem of Melocrinites comprises large thin discs, resembling poker chips, and are very common in the Upper Devonian strata of New York State. Note the alternating wide and narrow discs that make up the distinctive stem of Melocrinites PRI 43601