''Phoenixites'' is an early (Late Devonian) genus of the

Falcitornoceratinae Falcitornoceratinae is one of three subfamilies of the Tornoceratidae family, a member of the Goniatitida Goniatids, informally goniatites, are Ammonoidea, ammonoid cephalopods that form the order Goniatitida, derived from the more primitive A ...

, a subfamily of the goniatitid

Tornoceratidae Tornoceratidae is a family of goniatitid ammonoids from the middle and upper Devonian. The family is included in the suborder Tornoceratina and the superfamily Tornoceratoidea. Tornoceratids are subdiscoidal goniatitids with biconvex growth l ...

family. This genus was named by Becker in 1995. The type species is ''"Tornoceras" frechi''. The shell of ''Phoenixites'' is discoidal, on which constrictions may be present. Growth lines are strongly biconvex in juvenile stages, later with shallow a lateral sinus. ''Phoenixites'' may have contained the ancestor of ''

Falcitornoceras ''Falcitornoceras'' is a goniatitid ammonite from the Late Devonian, early 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 3 ...

'' which likely gave rise to ''

Gundolficeras ''Gundolficeras'' is member of the Tornoceratidae, (goniatitid ammonites), from the Late Devonian named by Becker, 1995 and assigned to the Falcitornoceratinae. The type species is ''"Lobotornoceras" bicaniculatum''. ''Gundolficeras'' has a com ...

'', all members of the Falcitornoceratinae.

Biostratigraphic significance

The

International Commission on Stratigraphy The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), sometimes referred to unofficially as the "International Stratigraphic Commission", is a daughter or major subcommittee grade scientific daughter organization that concerns itself with stratigra ...

(ICS) has assigned the

First Appearance Datum First appearance datum (FAD) is a term used by geologists and paleontologists to designate the first appearance of a species in the geologic record. FADs are determined by identifying the geologically oldest fossil discovered, to date, of a particu ...

of ''Phoenixites frechi'' as the defining biological marker for the start of the

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 ...

Stage, 372.2 ± 1.6 million years ago, the final stage of the

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 ...

. This lower limit is also defined by the Upper Kellwasser Extinction, when the conodont genera ''

Ancyrodella ''Ancyrodella'' is an extinct genus of conodonts from the Late Devonian. During the Famennian stage of the Late Devonian, a biologic event occurred (Upper Kellwasser Extinction of all ''Ancyrodella'' and ''Ozarkodina'' and most ''Palmatolepis' ...

'', and ''

Ozarkodina ''Ozarkodina'' is an extinct genus of conodonts in the family Spathognathodontidae. Use in stratigraphy ''Ozarkodina snajdri'' forms a subdivision of the '' Pseudomonoclimacis'' latilobus graptolite zone in the Burgsvik beds Silurian formati ...

'' and many species of ''

Palmatolepis ''Palmatolepis'' is an extinct conodont genus in the family Palmatolepidae. It was the most abundant genus of conodonts of the Late Devonian, disappearing during the Devonian/Carboniferous crisis. Species * †''Palmatolepis glabra'' * †''P ...

'', ''

Polygnathus ''Polygnathus'' is an extinct genus of conodonts. Species * †''Polygnathus acrinodosus'' Aboussalam 2003 * †''Polygnathus alkhovikovae'' Baranov, Slavík & Blodgett 2014 * †''Polygnathus angustipennatus'' Bischoff and Ziegler 1957 * � ...

'', and ''

Ancyrognathus ''Ancyrognathus'' is an extinct genus of conodonts. During the 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 mill ...

'' disappeared.

References

*''Phoenixites'' i
GONIAT Online
6/9/12
Falcitornoceratinae
Paleobio Database. 6/9/12 Late Devonian ammonites Goniatitida genera Ammonites of Europe Tornoceratidae {{Goniatitida-stub