Cenomanian cheilostome bryozoans from Devon, England.

The Cenomanian witnessed a spectacular evolutionary radiation of cheilostome bryozoans, both in terms of species diversity and morphological disparity. However, Cenomanian cheilostome faunas are inadequately known. Twelve species of cheilostome bryozoans are here described from the Cenomanian Beer Head Limestone Formation of SE Devon, England, a nearshore facies of limestones and sands. Two of the cheilostome species are new – Wilbertopora manubriformis sp. nov. and Foratella cervisia sp. nov. – and five cannot be identified beyond genus level. Syntypes of Foratella forata (d’Orbigny, 1853), the Senonian type species of Foratella Canu, 1900, are illustrated using SEM and a lectotype is chosen. All of the species present are neocheilostomes, which were larval brooders. Compared with the non-brooding malacostegans that dominate pre-Cenomanian faunas, most species have avicularia and extensive frontal walls, features probably adaptive against small predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]