holdfasts
HOLD-fasts
Definition
The root-like or disk-shaped structure at the base of certain aquatic organisms, such as sea lilies or kelp, used to anchor them to a substrate.
Etymology
The word is a compound of the English verbs 'hold' and 'fast' (in the sense of being fixed or secure), appearing in Middle English as a term for something used to secure or grip an object.
In the news
In the article, holdfasts are mentioned alongside columns and feeding structures as components of fully articulated echinoderm fossils that were well-preserved within the Neuville Formation's deep-water setting.
In the entire 485-million-year fossil record of sea lilies, only one fossil had ever been found with the tube feet the animals catch their food with, and a pair of crushed specimens from a Quebec quarry has now produced the second and oldest case, at about 452
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com