Description

Trochocystites sp.
Middle Cambrian
Coulouma Formation
Montagnes Noire, France
Good 1.6cm carpoid. Very 3-dimensional

Trochocystites is a genus of carpoid known from the Cambrian of Europe.  Carpoids are an extinct group that most paleontologists consider to be early echinoderms while others argue they could be primitive chordates.

This specimen comes from a time early in the history of carpoids.  They died out during the Devonian Period (known from the Bundenbach locality in Germany).

See: Wikipedia – Cincta