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How far back does the bryozoan fossil record extend?
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moss animal
Eurystomella bilabiata, a moss animal from the Order Cheilostomata.
The bryozoan fossil record extends back to the Lower Ordovician period, approximately 488 million to 472 million years ago. The most ancient specimens identified are stenolaemates found in the United States and Russia, dating to the Arenig series, which is about 471 million years old. Because many bryozoans possess calcified walls, their remains are well-preserved in the fossil record from the Ordovician onward.12