MN zonation

The MN zonation is a system used to correlate mammal-bearing fossil localities in the Miocene and Pliocene epochs of Europe. It consists of sixteen consecutive zones (numbered MN 1 through MN 17; MN 7 and 8 have been joined into MN 7/8) defined through reference faunas, well-known sites that other localities can be correlated with.

The zones are as follows:

• MN 1
• MN 2
• MN 3
• MN 4
• MN 5
• MN 6
• MN 7/8
• MN 9
• MN 10
• MN 11
• MN 12
• MN 13
• MN 14
• MN 15
• MN 16
• MN 17

See also

• European land mammal age
• Geologic time scale

References

• Bruijn, H. de, Daams, R., Daxner-Höck, G., Fahlbusch, V., Ginsburg, L., Mein, P. and Morales, J. 1992. "Report of the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals", Reisensburg 1990. Newsletters on Stratigraphy 26(2–3):65–118.
• Dam, J.A. van, Alcalá, L., Alonso Zarza, A., Calvo, J.P., Garcés, M. and Krijgsman, W. 2001. "The Upper Miocene mammal record from the Teruel–Alfambra region (Spain). The MN system and continental stage/age concepts discussed." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21(2):367–385.