Data from: A new western European Cretaceous bryozoan genus from the early Cenomanian radiation of neocheilostomes

Neocheilostomes possessing ovicells for larval brooding originated in the
late Albian and radiated explosively in the Late Cretaceous. Our
understanding of this radiation is hampered by poor knowledge of the
taxonomy of the earliest neocheilostomes. Here we describe a new
neocheilostome genus, Ehrhardina, from shallow-water sediments in the
early Cenomanian of Western Europe. Two species (Ehrhardina voigti sp.
nov. and E. pikeae sp. nov.) are referred to the new genus. Ehrhardina
gen. nov. is an onychocellid characterized by large opesiae with
proximolateral, symmetrical opesiular constrictions and proximolateral,
long opesiular indentations, bilaterally symmetrical interzooidal
avicularia and lacking spine bases, but with hyperstomial ovicells that
have ectooecia formed of exterior wall calcification. Colonies are
unusually large for encrusting onychocellids and multilaminar; ovicells
are primitive in showing a median suture in the ectooecium. Similarities
between Ehrhardina gen. nov. and Aechmella, Floridina, Floridinella, and
Onychocella are discussed, and a key for the discrimination of these
genera is provided. Ehrhardina gen. nov. is the oldest neocheilostome
known to construct large, multilaminar colonies.