Early Cretaceous
System/ Period | Series/ Epoch | Stage/ Age | Age (Ma) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Paleogene | Paleocene | Danian | younger | |
Cretaceous | Upper/ 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 | ||
Lower/ 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 | Upper/ Late | Tithonian | older | |
Subdivision of the Cretaceous system according to the ICS, as of 2017.[1] |
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 ceratopsians, spinosaurids, carcharodontosaurids and coelurosaurs, while survivors from the Late Jurassic continued.
Angiosperms (flowering plants) appeared for the first time during the Early Cretaceous.[2] This time also saw the evolution of the first members of the Neornithes (modern birds).[3]
See also
- Geologic Period
References
^ http://www.stratigraphy.org/index.php/ics-chart-timescale
^ 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.
^ Lee, Michael SY; Cau, Andrea; Naish, Darren; Dyke, Gareth J. (May 2014). "Morphological Clocks in Paleontology, and a Mid-Cretaceous Origin of Crown Aves" (PDF). Systematic Biology. Oxford Journals. 63 (1): 442–449. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syt110. PMID 24449041..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
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