Polypora, M'Coy, 1844

Ernst, Andrej, 2016, Bryozoan fauna from the Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian) Zhongba Formation of southwestern Tibet, Palaeontologia Electronica (1946) 51 (9), pp. 1-59 : 40

Genus POLYPORA M‘Coy, 1844

Type species. Polypora dendroides M‘Coy, 1844 . Lower Carboniferous ; Ireland.

Diagnosis. Reticulate 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 (after Morozova, 2001).

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.