Well-preserved fenestrate bryozoans in Mississippian building stones, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Abstract

Unusually well-preserved fenestrate bryozoans have been identified in Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) building stones in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Specimens in adjacent properties presumably came from the same horizon, presumably from Belgium. Although scant internal morphological detail can be discerned, the general arrangement of the meshwork, together with the disposition of autozooecia, show affinities with Rectifenestella Morozova, which has straight-sided fenestrules into which lateral autozooecial apertures do not extend. This may be the first detailed record of bryozoans from the Mississippian building stones of the Netherlands.