Phillipsastreid Corals from the Frasnian (Upper Devonian) of Western Canada: Taxonomy and Biostratigraphic Significance

Rugose corals of the Family Phillipsastreidae are abundant, diverse, and geographically widespread in the Frasnian (lower Upper Devonian) of western Canada. Species of the solitary genus Macgeea described here comprise M. parva Webster, 1889, M. proteus Smith, 1945, M. telopea Crickmay, 1962, M. soraufi n. sp., and M. pustulosa n. sp. Thamnophyllum and Peneckiella are branching forms, with Thamnophyllum represented by the species T. colemanense (Warren, 1928), T. tructense (McLaren, 1959), T. pedderi n. sp., T. cordense n. sp. and T. julli n. sp., while Peneckiella includes P. floydensis (Belanski, 1928), P. metalinae Sorauf, 1972, P. gracilis n. sp., and P. haultainensis n. sp. Biostratigraphic distribution of these species is reviewed, together with that of previously described Canadian massive phillipsastreid species belonging to the genera Phillipsastrea, Chuanbeiphyllum, Pachyphyllum, Smithicyathus, and Frechastraea. The coral biostratigraphy is expressed in terms of the Montagne Noire conodont zonation and modified western Canada rugose coral faunal assemblages.