Early Cretaceous

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System Series Stage Age (Ma)
Paleogene Paleocene Danian younger
Cretaceous Late Maastrichtian 66.0–72.1
Campanian 72.1–83.6
Santonian 83.6–86.3
Coniacian 86.3–89.8
Turonian 89.8–93.9
Cenomanian 93.9–100.5
Early Albian 100.5–~113.0
Aptian ~113.0–~125.0
Barremian ~125.0–~129.4
Hauterivian ~129.4–~132.9
Valanginian ~132.9–~139.8
Berriasian ~139.8–~145.0
Jurassic Late Tithonian older
Subdivision of the Cretaceous system
according to the IUGS, as of July 2012.

The Early Cretaceous (geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 146 Ma to 100 Ma.

During this time many new types of dinosaurs appeared or came into prominence, including Psittacosaurus, spinosaurids, carcharodontosaurids and coelurosaurs, while survivors from the Late Jurassic continued.

In the seas, the ichthyosaurs declined and eventually died out at the start of the Late Cretaceous. Angiosperms (flowering plants)[1] appear for the first time.

References

  1. Sun, G., Q. Ji, D.L. Dilcher, S. Zheng, K.C. Nixon & X. Wang 2002. Archaefructaceae, a New Basal Angiosperm Family. Science 296(5569): 899–904.

See also

Cretaceous Period
Lower/Early Cretaceous Upper/Late Cretaceous
Berriasian | Valanginian | Hauterivian
Barremian| Aptian | Albian
Cenomanian | Turonian | Coniacian
Santonian |Campanian | Maastrichtian
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