A fossil starfish unearthed in Morocco that dates back 480 million years is a 'missing link' between modern day crinoids and their ancestors, a study has reported. Experts from Cambridge said that the fossil — uncovered from within the so-called Fezouata shale of the Anti-Atlas mountain range — is the oldest-known starfish. It dates back to a period in Earth's history — the so-called Ordovician Biodiversification Event — when the life suddenly expanded. The previous contender for the oldest starfish specimen on record was 50 million years younger, the researchers said. Given the scientific name 'Cantabrigiaster fezouataensis', the ancient species has an intricate design, with feathery arms still visible in its fossil specimens.