Zanclean

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System	Series	Stage	Age (Ma)
Quaternary	Pleistocene	Gelasian	younger
Neogene	Pliocene	Piacenzian	2.588–3.600
		Zanclean	3.600–5.332
	Miocene	Messinian	5.332–7.246
		Tortonian	7.246–11.608
		Serravallian	11.608–13.65
		Langhian	13.65–15.97
		Burdigalian	15.97–20.43
		Aquitanian	20.43–23.03
Paleogene	Oligocene	Chattian	older
Subdivision of the Neogene period according to the IUGS, as of July 2009.

The Zanclean is in the geologic time scale the lowest stage or earliest age of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 5.332 ± 0.005 Ma and 3.6 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago) and is preceded by the Messinian age of the Miocene epoch, and followed by the Piacenzian age.

The Zanclean can be correlated with regionally used stages as the Tabianian or Dacian (Central Europe). It also corresponds to the late Hemphillian to mid-Blancan North American Land Mammal Ages. In California, the Zanclean roughly corresponds to the mid-Delmontian.

Contents 1 Definition 2 References 2.1 Notes 2.2 Literature 2.3 External links

[edit] Definition

The Zanclean stage was introduced by Giuseppe Seguenza in 1868. It is named after Zancla, the pre-Roman name for the Italian city of Messina on Sicily.

The base of the Zanclean (and the Pliocene series) lies with the top of magnetic chronozone Cr3 (about 100.000 years before the Thvera normal subchronozone C3n.4n). The base is also close to the extinction level of the calcareous nannoplankton species Triquetrorhabdulus rugosus (the base of biozone CN10b) and the first appearance of nannoplankton Ceratolithus acutus. The GSSP for the Zanclean is in the vicinity of the ruins of the ancient city of Heraclea Minoa on Sicily, Italy.^[1]

The top of the Zanclean stage (the base of the Piacenzian stage) is at the base of magnetic chronozone C2An (the base of the Gauss chronozone and at the extinction of the planktonic forams Globorotalia margaritae and Pulleniatina primalis.

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Van Couvering et al. (2000)

[edit] Literature

• Castradori, D.; Rio, D.; Hilgen, F.J. & Lourens, L.J.; 1998: The Global Standard Stratotype section and Point (GSSP) of the Piacenzian Stage (Middle Pliocene), Episodes, 21(2): pp 88-93.
• Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G. (eds.) (2005) A Geologic Time Scale 2004 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, ISBN 0-521-78142-6.
• Giuseppe Seguenza; 1868: La Formation Zancléenne, ou recherches sur une nouvelle formation tertiaire, Bulletin de la Societé Géologique de France, séries 2, 25: 465-485. (French)
• Van Couvering, J.A.; Castradori, D.; Cita, M.B.; Hilgen, F.J. & Rio, D.; 2000: The base of the Zanclean Stage and of the Pliocene Series, Episodes, 23(3): pp 179-187.

[edit] External links

• GeoWhen Database - Zanclean
• Neogene timescale, at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS
• Neogene timescale at the website of the Norwegian network of offshore records of geology and stratigraphy

Neogene period
Miocene	Pliocene
Aquitanian | Burdigalian Langhian | Serravallian Tortonian | Messinian	Zanclean | Piacenzian