Early astogeny and relationships of the ordovician rhabdomesine bryozoans

A diverse Ordovician assemblage of juvenile bryozoan colonies, with external phosphatic coatings allowing chemical extraction from the rock, shows a morphologic series probably corresponding to evolutionary step-by-step suppression in the formation of the external colony wall. Its formation was initially delayed leading to formation of the common bud (advanced corynotrypids). Then the permanent double-walled colony organization developed along the colony margin (Flabellotrypa-like). In the following evolutionary stage, the external wall was secreted only at the conical creeping stage immediately following ancestrula (typical rhabdomesines). With subsequent evolution the external wall completely disappeared, and the double-walled ancestrula grew vertically (advanced rhabdomesines and phylloporinids). This kind of the early astogeny characterizes also the oldest phyllodictyid cryptostome Prophyllodictya, studied in serial peels. Flabellotrypidae fam. n., Mojczatrypa halysitoides gen. et sp. n., Kielceporidae fam. n., Kielcepora ornata gen. et sp. n., Ojlepora gen. n., and Kielanopora gracilis gen. et sp. n. are proposed.