New taxa and revised stratigraphic distribution of the crinoid fauna from Anticosti Island, Québec, Canada (Late Ordovician-early Silurian)

Research on Anticosti Island, Québec, Canada, has uncovered seven new crinoid species and revised the stratigraphic distribution of these marine organisms during the Late Ordovician to early Silurian period. This study confirms that Xenocrinus rubus crossed the Ordovician-Silurian boundary, while also extending the range of several other taxa. The findings provide critical insights into the macroevolutionary turnover following the End-Ordovician extinctions, which significantly impacted shallow-water benthic communities. Anticosti Island's well-preserved stratigraphic section offers a unique window to study these changes, with new taxa including Becsciecrinus groulxin, Jovacrinus clarkin, and others contributing to our understanding of crinoid evolution during this pivotal geological period.

Ausich, W. I., & Cournoyer, M. E. (2019). New taxa and revised stratigraphic distribution of the crinoid fauna from Anticosti Island, Québec, Canada (Late Ordovician-early Silurian). Journal of Paleontology, 93(06), 1137–1158. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2019.36