ABSTRACT
Paleozoic benthic marine communities are characterized by epifaunally tiered suspension feeders, and stalked echinoderms were typically the tallest benthos and accounted for much tiering complexity. The ecologic role of crinoids within the benthic communities varied from being a rare faunal component to total domination across a shelf of 1000’s of km which produced regional encrinites deposits. Typically, crinoids were the elements of diverse, epifaunally tiered communities composed principally of the crinoids, bryozoans, brachiopods, and corals. Paleozoic crinoids lived at all depths, from habitats within fair-weather wave base to considerable depths, but complete specimens are rare because of the rapid disarticulation.
