Polypora M’Coy, 1844

Ernst, Andrej & Minwegen, Elke, 2006, Late Carboniferous bryozoans from La Hermida, Spain, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (3), pp. 569-588 : 581

Genus Polypora M’Coy, 1844

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

Diagnosis.—Reticular colonies of different shape built by straight or slightly undulating, bifurcating branches, joined at regular intervals by straight dissepiments without autozooecia. Autozooecia arranged in four alternating rows on branches, 5–6 rows before and 2–3 after bifurcation. Autozooecial chambers tubular, short, having weakly developed inferior hemisepta and short vestibule, regularly hexagonal in mid tangential section. Autozooecial apertures rounded. Keels between longitudinal rows of autozooecia weakly developed or absent. Microacanthostyles and nodes usually present on obverse surface (translated after Morozova 2001). Discussion.— Polypora M’Coy, 1844 is similar to Paucipora Termier and Termier, 1971 but the latter has strongly developed hemisepta and shorter autozooecia.

Stratigraphic and geographic range.—Lower Devonian to Upper Permian; worldwide.