Dendraster ashleyi

Pliocene

Careaga Formation

Vandenburg AFB, Santa Barbara County, CA USA.

8” block with many. Largest is 33mm.

Sand dollar.  Echinoid.

Dendraster is a genus of sand dollar (an echinoderm group) that appeared late in the Miocene and still lives today.  It is known from the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Baja Califronia.

Dendraster ashleyi is one of the extinct species about the size of D. gibbsi but smaller than D. venturaensis.  It is best known from Pliocene sites in Santa Barbara County, California and south to San Diego County.