Towards a systematic standard approach to describing fossil crinoids, illustrated by the redescription of a Scottish Silurian Pisocrinus de Koninck

Systematic taxonomy requires thoughtful, detailed and structured descriptions of species characters, and essential additional data for effective comparison with other specimens. Crinoid terminology is commonly misused or at best confused. The purpose of this paper is to facilitate this process by encouraging a standard methodology which would make comparisons of fossil crinoid taxa easier for all. An ordered tabulation of those characters that should be considered in any description of a fossil crinoid is provided and implemented in describing a Scottish Llandovery (Lower Silurian) disparid crinoid Pisocrinus cf. campana S.A. Miller.