Microporella berningi, ZÁGORŠEK, 2010

ZÁGORŠEK, KAMIL, 2010, BRYOZOA FROM THE LANGHIAN (MIOCENE) OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC PART II: SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBORDER ASCOPHORA LEVINSEN, 1909 AND PALEOECOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE STUDIED PALEOENVIRONMENT, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 66 (3 - 4), pp. 139-255 : 139-255

Microporella berningi sp. n.

Pl. 116, Fig. 1-5

non 1999 Microporella appendiculata ( HELLER, 1867) – Hayward and Ryland p. 294, Fig. 134A, B and 135

2006 Microporella aff. appendiculata ( HELLER, 1867) – Berning p. 103, Fig. 131

D i a g n o s i s: Autozooecia oval, with flat frontal wall. Aperture semilunar with five oral spines. Ascopore crescent shaped. Nonporous area is developed between the ascopore and proximal margin of the aperture. Avicularia in pairs, suboral, tapering distally. Ovicell very small, deeply immersed with a nonporous frontal wall.

H o l o t y p e: The specimen illustrated on Pl. 116, Fig. 1-2, from the section Holubice, deposited in the National museum Prague under the number PM2 – P 01695.

P a r a t y p e s: Three specimens from the locality Židlochovice, deposited in the National Museum Prague under numbers PM2 – P 01696 to P 01698 .

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D e r i v a t i o n o m i n i s: In honour of Björn Berning (Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum Linz, Austria), who was the first biologist to recognize this new species.

L o c u s t y p i c u s: Holubice,sectionA.

S t r a t u m t y p i c u m: Langhian – Lower Badenian.

M e a s u r e m e n t s: (in micro meters = µm; x = = average)

length of autozooecia: 436-565; x = 510

width of autozooecia: 347-620; x = 429

length of aperture: 81-98; x = 90

width of aperture: 102-134; x = 120

length of ovicell: 75-115; x = 95

width of ovicell: 190-266; x = 225

length of avicularium: 74-104; x = 89

width of avicularium: 44-83; x = 61

diameter of ascopore: 16-46; x = 27

diameter of oral spine: 35-40; x = 37

D e s c r i p t i o n: Autozooecia oval to irregular in shape, separated from each other by shallow grooves. Frontal wall flat or slightly convex, strongly porous. Aperture semilunar with 5 to 7 oral spines. Ascopore crescent-shaped, situated close to the proximal margin of the aperture, very small. Usually as large as the regular frontal pores, sometimes smaller. There are no frontal pores between the ascopore and the proximal margin of the aperture. Avicularia in pairs, suboral, tapering distally. Ovicell very small, deeply immersed into the distal part of the autozooecium with a short, indistinct umbo on the central part of the ovicell.

C o m p a r i s o n: This species is very similar to Microporella ciliata ( PALLAS, 1766) as revised by Kuklinski and Taylor (2008). It has however a very large ovicell with a porous frontal wall.

Another very similar species is Microporella appendiculata ( HELLER, 1867) , which was synonymised by Geraci (1977) with Microporella marsupiata HINCKS, 1880 . Recent specimens of Microporella appendiculata ( HELLER, 1867) differ from Microporella berningi sp. n. in having a prominent ovicell with a transverse rib ( Hayward and Ryland, 1999). Microporella marsupiata HINCKS, 1880 differs from our new species in having large ovicells and 7 to 9 oral spines. Hayward and Ryland (1999) however did not discuss Geraci’s (1977) paper so it is unclear if Microporella marsupiata HINCKS, 1880 and Microporella appendiculata ( HELLER, 1867) are synonyms or not. This cannot be decid- ed on the basis of pictures only and I do not have access to the type specimens of these species. These two species clearly differ from Microporella berningi sp. n.

R e m a r k s: Berning’s specimens (2006) are identical with the Moravian material in also having a deeply immersed ovicell with nonporous frontal wall and a nonporous area between the ascopore and the proximal margin of the aperture.

O c c u r r e n c e: SectionsatHolubiceandŽidlochovice