Polypora, M'Coy, 1844

Ernst, Andrej, Claussen, Anna Lene, Seuss, Barbara & Wyse Jackson, Patrick N., 2022, Stenolaemate bryozoans from the Graham Formation, Pennsylvanian (Virgilian) at Lost Creek Lake, Texas, USA, Palaeontologia Electronica (a 15) 25 (2), pp. 1-56 : 26-27

Genus POLYPORA M’Coy, 1844

Type species. Polypora dendroides M’Coy, 1844 , by original designation. Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) ; Ireland.

Diagnosis. Colonies conical or fan-shaped, planar to longitudinally pleated; branches broad, linear, essentially parallel, spacing intermediate, dichotomously dividing; dissepiments narrow, perpendicular or at oblique angle to branches, regularly spaced at intermediate distance; three or more rows autozooecia per branch, up to at least six rows below branch bifurcations; autozooecial apertures aligned longitudinally and diagonally in alternating rows; no keel present on branches, although large styles may extend through obverse laminated skeleton; reverse surface typically smooth and finely pustulose; autozooecial chambers tubular, some proximally recumbent on budding plate, with long axis directed toward obverse surface but inclined distally at acute or obtuse angle; autozooecial chamber cross-sections rhomboidal, hexagonal, or irregularly polygonal in deep section parallel to base; single hemiseptum may be present on proximal wall at base of distal tube; diaphragms absent; intermediate- to large-diameter distal tube typically moderate length to long, with apertures of some surrounded by up to 16 stylets indenting apertural outline; terminal diaphragms may have a central perforation, representing secondary nanozooecia; in some species bowl-like cavities on dissepiments, linked to autozooecia by one or two meandering surficial grooves may be reproductive heterozooecia; no superstructure present; granular skeleton present in basal plate and axial wall but locally absent in transverse and lateral walls; extrazooecial skeleton laminated, traversed by abundant, moderate-size styles ( Wyse Jackson et al., 2006).

Remarks. Polypora M’Coy, 1844 , is similar to Paucipora Termier and Termier, 1971 . The latter has well-developed hemisepta and shorter autozooecia. Polypora differs from Polyporella Simpson, 1895 , in the presence of four rows of autozooecia on branches instead of three in the latter genus.

Occurrence. Lower Devonian to Upper Permian; worldwide.