Furongian

Cambrian graphical timeline

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Fortunian

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Dresbachian extinction

Major Glacial period

Subdivision of the Cambrian according to the ICS, as of 2023.^[1]
Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago

The Furongian is the fourth and final series of the Cambrian. It lasted from 497 to 485.4 million years ago. It succeeds the still unnamed 3rd series of the Cambrian and precedes the Lower Ordovician Tremadocian stage. It is subdivided into three stages: the Paibian, Jiangshanian and the unnamed 10th stage of the Cambrian.^[2]

Naming

The Furongian was also known as the "Series 4" of the Cambrian and replaced the older term "Upper Cambrian" and equivalent to the local term "Hunanian". The name "Furongian" was ratified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy in 2003. Furong (芙蓉) means "lotus" in Mandarin and refers to Hunan which is known as the "lotus state".^[3]

Definition

The lower boundary is defined in the same way as the GSSP of the Paibian stage. Both begin with the first appearance of the trilobite Glyptagnostus reticulatus around 497 million years ago.^[4] The upper boundary is the lower boundary and GSSP of the Tremadocian stage which is the first appearance of the conodont Iapetognathus fluctivagus around 485.4 million years ago.^[5]

Subdivisions

The following table shows the subdivisions of the Furongian series/epoch:^[2]

Epoch	Stage	Age (mya)
Lower Ordovician
	Floian	477.7
	Tremadocian	485.4
Furongian
	Stage 10	489.5
	Jiangshanian	494
	Paibian	497
Series 3
	Guzhangian	500.5
	Drumian	504.5
	Stage 5	509

Biostratigraphy

The base of two of three stages of the Furongian are defined as the first appearance of a trilobite. The base of the Paibian is the first appearance of Glyptagnostus reticulatus and the base of the Jiangshanian is the first appearance of Agnostotes orientalis.^[3]^[6] The still unnamed Cambrian Stage 10 might be defined as the first appearance of Lotagnostus americanus or the conodont Eoconodontus notchpeakensis.^[7]

The Furongian can be divided into a number of trilobite zones:

Series	Stage	Trilobite zone	Trilobite GSSP
Furongian	Stage 10	Saukia zone (upper part), Eurekia apopsis zone, Tangshanaspis Zone, Parakoldinioidiazone, Symphysurina zone^[7]	Lotagnostus americanus (undecided)
	Jiangshanian	Ellipsocephaloides zone, Saukia zone (lower part)^[7]	Agnostotes orientalis
	Paibian	? (?)	Glyptagnostus reticulatus
	Paibian	Cedaria	Glyptagnostus reticulatus

References

^ "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. September 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "GSSP Table - Paleozoic Era". Geologic Timescale Foundation. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
^ ^a ^b Peng, Shanchi; Babcock, Loren; Robison, Richard; Lin, Huanling; Rees, Margaret; Saltzman, Matthew (30 November 2004). "Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point (GSSP) of the Furongian Series and Paibian Stage (Cambrian)" (PDF). Lethaia. 37 (4): 365–379. doi:10.1080/00241160410002081. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
^ "GSSP for the Paibian". Retrieved 12 November 2012.
^ "GSSP for the Cambrian - Ordovician Boundary". Retrieved 17 November 2012.
^ "GSSP for Jiangshanian". Retrieved 12 November 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c Landing, E.; Westrop, S.R.; Adrain, J.M. (19 September 2011). "The Lawsonian Stage - the Eoconodontus notchpeakensis FAD and HERB carbon isotope excursion define a globally correlatable terminal Cambrian stage". Bulletin of Geosciences: 621–640. doi:10.3140/bull.geosci.1251.

Preceded by the Proterozoic Eon	Phanerozoic Eon
	Paleozoic Era						Mesozoic Era			Cenozoic Era
	Cambrian	Ordovician	Silurian	Devonian	Carboniferous	Permian	Triassic	Jurassic	Cretaceous	Paleogene	Neogene	4ry

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[1] "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. September 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2024.

[GSSP_Paleozoic-2] "GSSP Table - Paleozoic Era". Geologic Timescale Foundation. Retrieved 17 November 2012.

[Peng_2004-3] Peng, Shanchi; Babcock, Loren; Robison, Richard; Lin, Huanling; Rees, Margaret; Saltzman, Matthew (30 November 2004). "Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point (GSSP) of the Furongian Series and Paibian Stage (Cambrian)" (PDF). Lethaia. 37 (4): 365–379. doi:10.1080/00241160410002081. Retrieved 14 September 2012.

[GSSP_for_the_Paibian-4] "GSSP for the Paibian". Retrieved 12 November 2012.

[GSSP_for_the_Cambrian_-_Ordovician_Boundary-5] "GSSP for the Cambrian - Ordovician Boundary". Retrieved 17 November 2012.

[GSSP_Jiangshanian-6] "GSSP for Jiangshanian". Retrieved 12 November 2012.

[Landing_2011-7] Landing, E.; Westrop, S.R.; Adrain, J.M. (19 September 2011). "The Lawsonian Stage - the Eoconodontus notchpeakensis FAD and HERB carbon isotope excursion define a globally correlatable terminal Cambrian stage". Bulletin of Geosciences: 621–640. doi:10.3140/bull.geosci.1251.

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