Anisian

System/
Period		 Series/
Epoch		 Stage/
Age		 Age (Ma)
Jurassic Lower/
Early		 Hettangian younger
Triassic Upper/
Late		 Rhaetian 201.3–208.5
Norian 208.5–~228
Carnian ~228–~235
Mid/
Middle		 Ladinian ~235–~242
Anisian ~242–247.2
Lower/
Early		 Olenekian 247.2–251.2
Induan 251.2–252.2
Permian Lopingian Changhsingian older
Subdivision of the Triassic system
according to the IUGS, as of July 2012.

In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 247.2 million years ago until ~242 million years ago.[1] The Anisian age succeeds the Olenekian age (part of the Lower Triassic epoch) and precedes the Ladinian age.

Stratigraphic definitions

The stage and its name were established by Austrian geologists Wilhelm Heinrich Waagen and Carl Diener in 1895. The name comes from Anisus, the Latin name of the river Enns. The original type locality is at Großreifling in the Austrian state of Styria.

The base of the Anisian stage (also the base of the Middle Triassic series) is sometimes laid at the first appearance of conodont species Chiosella timorensis in the stratigraphic record. Other stratigraphers prefer to use the base of magnetic chronozone MT1n. The global reference profile for the base (the GSSP or golden spike) is at a flank of the mountain Deşli Caira in the Romanian Dobruja.[2]

The top of the Anisian (the base of the Ladinian) is at the first appearance of ammonite species Eoprotrachyceras curionii and the ammonite family Trachyceratidae. The conodont species Neogondolella praehungarica appears at the same level.

Sometimes (especially in Central Europe) the Anisian stage is subdivided into four substages: Aegean, Bythinian, Pelsonian and Illyrian.

The Anisian contains six ammonite biozones:

Cherninia, giant temnospondyl from India

Palaeontology

Examples of vertebrates from this age are:

Archosaurs

Archosaurs of the Anisian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Donguz Formation, Russia
Sarmatosuchus

Archosauromorphs

Archosauromorphs of the Anisian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Erythrosuchus

Therapsids

Therapsids of the Anisian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Kannemeyeria

†Nothosauroids

Nothosauroids of the Anisian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Anarosaurus
Ceresiosaurus
Keichousaurus
Guizhou and Hubei, China

†Placodonts

Placodonts of the Anisian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Cyamodus
Paraplacodus
Northern Italy

†Thalattosaurians

Thalattosauria of the Anisian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Italy A very thin, elongated creature (about 2 meters long) that probably swam like an eel, that was probably a fish eater and hunted in deep waters, based on its large eyes (which would allow it to see better in dark water) and the protective bony ring around them (also seen in ichthyosaurs), which prevented them from getting squashed in by the immense water pressure at great depths.
Askeptosaurus

†Ceratitida

Ananorites Arthaberites Beyrichites Bosnites Buddhaites Bukowskiites Caucasites Danubites Gangadharites Japonites Laboceras Longobarditoides Mesocladiscites Noetlingites Parapinacoceras Parasageceras Phyllocladiscites Proavites Pseudodanubites Psilocladiscites Salterites Tropigymnites Xiphogymnites Pararcestes Sageceras

Lower

Alloptychites Anagymnites Grambergia Groenlandites Gymnites Lenotropites Pearylandites Silberlingites Isculites Stenopopanoceras

Middle

Acrochordiceras Alanites Anagymnotoceras Arctohungarites Balatonites Bulogites Cuccoceras Czekanowskites Epacrochordiceras Hollandites Huishuites Inaigymnites Ismidites Kiparisovia Malletophychites Nicomedites Phillipites Platycuccoceras Pronoetlingites Reiflingites Discoptychites Intornites Nevadisculites Paraceratites Parapopanoceras Proarcestes Longobardites Ptychites

Upper

Amphipopanoceras Aplococeras Arctogymnites Eudiscoceras Eutomoceras Gymnotoceras Halilucites Judicarites Kellnerites Metadinarites Nevadites Parakellnerites Proteusites Repossia Semiornites Serpianites Stoppaniceras Ticinites Tozerites Tropigastrites Joannites Epigymnites Ceratites Flexoptychites Frechites Norites Gevanites Hungarites

†Phylloceratida

Spinoleiophyllites Ussurites Monophyllites

Nautilida

Trachynautilus Thuringionautilus Styrionautilus

Lower

Indonautilus Sibyllonautilus

Middle

Paranautilus

Upper

Holconautilus Proclydonautilus

†Aulacocerida

Crassiatractites Breviatractites

Lower

Mojsisovicsteuthis

Pterioida

Ramonalinidae

References

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Gradstein et al. (2004); Brack et al. (2005) give 248 to 241 Ma
  2. ↑ The GSSP was established by Grǎdinaru et al. (2007)

Literature

External links

Triassic Period
Lower/Early Triassic Middle Triassic Upper/Late Triassic
Induan |Olenekian Anisian | Ladinian Carnian | Norian
Rhaetian