Polypora cf. remota Condra, 1902

Ernst, Andrej & Minwegen, Elke, 2006, Late Carboniferous bryozoans from La Hermida, Spain, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (3), pp. 569-588 : 582

Polypora cf. remota Condra, 1902

Fig. 6J–L; Table 11.

1902 Polypora remota sp. nov.; Condra 1902: 353–354, pl. 24: 1, 2. 1999 Polypora sp. A ; Gonzáles and Suárez Andréz 1999: 605, pl. 2:

4–6.

Material.— SMF 1765, 1789, 1790.

Description.—Reticulate colony. Micrometric formula: 6.5 / 3 // 14–18. Branches frequently bifurcating, 0.70–0.75 mm wide, spaced 6.5 in 10 mm across the colony, joined by 0.27–0.39 mm wide dissepiments. Autozooecia arranged in 3–4 rows on branches. Autozooecial apertures rounded, 14–18 spaced in 5 mm of the branch length, 9–14 on each side of fenestrule. Autozooecia rhombic in mid tangential section. Both superior and inferior hemisepta absent. Fenestrules 2.58–3.63 mm long, 0.88–1.05 mm wide, 3 spaced per 10 mm distance. Outer laminated skeleton moderately developed, containing abundant microstylets. Nodes and keels absent on obverse surface; indistinct thickenings present on reverse surface.

Discussion.—This species is superficially similar to P. aestacella Meek, 1872 from the Graham Formation of Texas. The latter species has 4–6 rows of autozooecia on branches, which are spaced 11–12 per 5 mm longitudinally. The species P. valida Moore, 1929 is also similar to P. remota but differs in its smaller fenestrule length. However, both species have been described superficially and no information is available about their internal morphology.

Stratigraphic and geographic range.—Pennsylvanian; North America. Picos de Europa Formation, Moscovian, Upper Carboniferous; La Hermida, Spain. Calizas del Cuera, Upper Moscovian (Podolski horizon), Upper Carboniferous; Playa de la Huelga, Spain.