The European Land Mammal Ages establishes a geologic timescale for prehistoric European fauna beginning 66.5 Ma during the Paleogene and continuing through to the Middle Pleistocene (0.33 Ma). These periods are referred to as ages, stages, or intervals and were established using geographic place names where fossil materials where obtained.
The basic unit of measure is the first/last boundary statement. This shows that the first appearance event of one taxon is known to predate the last appearance event of another. If two taxa are found in the same fossil quarry or at the same stratigraphic horizon, then their age-range zones overlap.
Ages[]
- Calabrian: Lower boundary 2.5 Ma. Upper boundary 1.8 Ma.
- Piacenzian: Lower boundary 3.6 Ma. Upper boundary 2.5 Ma.
- Zanclean: Lower boundary 5.3 Ma. Upper boundary 3.6 Ma.
- Messinian: Lower boundary 7.2 Ma. Upper boundary 5.3 Ma.
- Tortonian: Lower boundary 11.6 Ma. Upper boundary 7.2 Ma.
- Serravallian: Lower boundary 13.6 Ma. Upper boundary 11.6 Ma.
- Langhian: Lower boundary 15.9 Ma. Upper boundary 13.6 Ma.
- Burdigalian: Lower boundary 20.43 Ma. Upper boundary 15.9 Ma.
- Aquitanian: Lower boundary 23.0 Ma. Upper boundary 20.43 Ma.
- Chattian: Lower boundary 28.4 Ma Upper boundary 23.03 Ma.
- Rupelian: Lower boundary 33.9 Ma. Upper boundary 28.4 Ma.
- Priabonian: Lower boundary 37.2 Ma. Upper boundary 33.9 Ma.
- Bartonian: Lower boundary 40.4 Ma. Upper boundary 37.2 Ma.
- Lutetian: Lower boundary 46.6 Ma. Upper boundary 40.4 Ma.
- Ypresian: Lower boundary 55.8 Ma. Upper boundary 48.6 Ma.
- Thanetian: Lower boundary 58.7 Ma. Upper boundary 55.8 Ma.
- Selandian: Lower boundary 61.7 Ma. Upper boundary 58.7 Ma.
- Danian: Lower boundary 66.5 Ma. Upper boundary 61.7 Ma.
See also[]
- European Faunal Units
Other continental ages[]
References[]
- Rose, Kenneth David, The Beginning of the Age of Mammals, JHU Press, 2006, 428 pages.