Stenolaemate Bryozoa from the Upper Carboniferous of the Cantabrian Basin, Northern Spain

Abstract

Ten bryozoan taxa including two new species are described from the Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian) of the San Emiliano Formation (Cantabrian Zone), North Spain. The fauna is accompanied by a larger number of unidentifiable bryozoan taxa. The bryozoan fauna holds faunistic and facies relationships to the fauna reported in literature from the Calizas del Cuera/Picos de Europa units of the northern part of the Cantabrian orogen. The fauna proves biogeographic connections via the Carnian Alps to the Uralian basin, the North Russian platform, and Spitzbergen to western North America. A second faunistic connection exists to bryozoan faunas of the Appalachian fore-deep.