Hallopora, a fossil bryozoan from Tennessee, USA
Taxonomy
- Attributes
- Objects
- Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Animalia
- Phylum:
Bryozoa
- Class:
Gymnolaemata
- Order:
Trepostomata
- Family:
Halloporidae
- Genus:
Hallopora
Object number: ROMIP54216-43915
DescriptionBryozoans, or “moss animals”, are colonial sea animals. They collectively build elegant mineralized “skeletons” that are occupied by thousands of tiny individuals (called zooids). These colonies could take several forms—delicate branching structures (such as this example), domed mounds, or flat lacy encrustations on a hard surface (such as the shell of another invertebrate). It is unusual to find complete complex skeletons like this one. They are usually broken up into numerous twig-like fragments. Bryozoans have a very good fossil record, and though not as abundant as in the past, still have representatives in modern seas.