''Phoebodus'' is an extinct genus of phoebodontiform

elasmobranch Elasmobranchii () is a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, including sharks (superorder Selachii), rays, skates, and sawfish (superorder Batoidea). Members of this subclass are characterised by having five to seven pairs of g ...

, known from over a dozen species found worldwide spanning the middle to late

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

. Most species are only known from their isolated tricuspid teeth, but one species, ''Phoebodus saidselachus'' from the Late Devonian of Morocco, is known from a complete skeleton, estimated to have been 1.2 metres in total length in life, which shows that it had a slender body superficially similar to that of the living

frilled shark The frilled shark (''Chlamydoselachus anguineus'') and the southern African frilled shark (''Chlamydoselachus africana'') are the two extant species of shark in the family '' Chlamydoselachidae''. The frilled shark is considered a living fossil, ...

. The teeth of ''Phoebodus'' and frilled sharks are also morphologically similar, and are designed for grasping prey. ''Phoebodus'' probably consumed small prey items that were capable of being swallowed whole.

Species

After Ivanov, 2021 * ''Phoebodus sophiae'' St. John & Worthen, 1875 (type) Australia, Iran, Mauritania, Poland, Spain, Portugal, United States (Indiana, Iowa, New York), Russia (Siberia) Middle Devonian (

Givetian The Givetian is one of two faunal stages in the Middle Devonian Period. It lasted from million years ago to million years ago. It was preceded by the Eifelian Stage and followed by the Frasnian The Frasnian is one of two faunal stages in the ...

) * ''Phoebodus fastigatus'' Ginter & Ivanov, 1992 Australia, Mauritania, Morocco, Russia (Urals), Poland, Spain, United States (New York, Iowa, Utah, Indiana) Middle-Late Devonian (Givetian-upper

Frasnian The Frasnian is one of two faunal stages in the Late Devonian Period. It lasted from million years ago to million years ago. It was preceded by the Givetian Stage and followed by the Famennian Stage. Major reef-building was under way during th ...

) * ''Phoebodus curvatus'' Ivanov, 2021 Russia (Urals), Poland, Australia, Middle-Late Devonian (upper Givetian-upper Frasnian) * ''Phoebodus latus'' Ginter & Ivanov, 1995, Australia, Russia (Urals, Siberia), Poland, Iran, Middle-Late Devonian (latest Givetian-upper Frasnian) * ''Phoebodus bifurcatus'' Ginter & Ivanov, 1992 Australia, China, Mauritania, Iran, Poland, Czechia, Belgium, United States (Utah) Russia (Urals) Late Devonian (upper Frasnian) * ''Phoebodus typicus'' Ginter & Ivanov, 1995 Australia, Morocco, Iran, Russia (Urals, Siberia) Late Devonian (lower-mid

Famennian The Famennian is the latter of two faunal stages in the Late Devonian Epoch. The most recent estimate for its duration estimates that it lasted from around 371.1 million years ago to 359.3 million years ago. An earlier 2012 estimate, still used b ...

) forms labelled ''P.'' cf. ''typicus'' occur in the middle Famennian of Belarus and Armenia, and the upper Famennian of Siberia * ''Phoebodus rayi'' Ginter & Turner, 1999 Australia, Canada, Iran, Late Devonian (lower-mid

) forms labelled ''P.'' cf. ''typicus'' occur in Iran and Lithuania, ranging into the early late Fammenian * ''Phoebodus turnerae'' Ginter & Ivanov, 1992 Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Iran, Poland, Morocco United States (Alaska), Late Devonian (Famennian) * ''Phoebodus gothicus'' Ginter, 1990, Russia (Urals), Iran, Armenia, Algeria, Morocco, Germany, France, Poland, United States (Ohio, Utah, Iowa) south China, Late Devonian (Famennian) * ''Phoebodus depressus'' Ginter, Hairapetian & Klug, 2002 Algeria, Late Devonian (lower-mid

) ''P.'' cf. ''depressus'' is known from Iran * ''Phoebodus saidselachus'' Frey et al. 2019 Morocco, Late Devonian (early-mid Famennian) * ''Phoebodus limpidus'' Ginter, 1990 Italy, south China, Russia (Urals, North Caucasus), Morocco, Poland, France, Germany, United States (Nevada, Wyoming, Utah) Late Devonian (mid-upper Famennian) * ''Phoebodus politus'' Newberry, 1889 United States (Ohio) Late Devonian (upper Famennian) Supposed species in this genus from the Triassic, like "''Phoebodus" brodiei,'' and "''Phoebodus" keuperinus'' are now placed in the genus '' Keuperodus'' in the family Jalodontidae.

References

{{reflist Devonian sharks