Abstract
An early late Emsian codiacrinid and Frasnian specimens of an indeterminate species of Parapisocrinus, an undesignated new genus of a catillocrinid, and two amabilicrinids are described from the eastern part of the Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco. These are the first articulated crinoid specimens reported from the Famennian of Morocco. Specimens occur within ammonoid-rich dysoxic shales, marls, and thin limestones at Ouidane Chebbi, Jebel Mrakib, Lambidia, and Rich Bou Kourazia. Parapisocrinus, the codiacrinid, and the catillocrinid are loose cups that are associated with other megafossils and may have been transported within the pelagic depositional settings. The amabilicrinids occur in three small unitaxial lenses, two of which have associated logs. The problems with and possibility of a pseudoplanktic lifestyle for stemmed crinoids are discussed.
These new collections expand the known stratigraphic and geographic distribution of the pisocrinid and amabilicrinids and the early evolutionary history of the catillocrinids. New taxa introduced are the amabilicrinids Mrakibocrinus bockwinkeli, Moroccocrinus ebbighauseni, and the codiacrinid Elicrinus? weyeri.