The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower CretaceousEpoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 0.6 Ma to 113.2 ± 0.3 Ma (million years ago), approximately. The Aptian succeeds the Barremian and precedes the Albian, all part of the Lower/Early Cretaceous.[1]
The Aptian partly overlaps the upper part of the Western European Urgonian Stage.
The Aptian was named after the small city of Apt in the Provence region of France, which is also known for its crystallized fruits. The original type locality is in the vicinity of Apt. The Aptian was introduced in scientific literature by French palaeontologist Alcide d'Orbigny in 1840.
Sometimes the Aptian is subdivided in three substages or subages: Bedoulian (early or lower), Gargasian (middle) and Clansayesian (late or upper). In modern formal chronostratigraphy the Aptian is divided into Lower and Upper sub-stages. The Lower Aptian is almost equivalent to the Bedoulian (without the Dufrenoyia furcata Zone), and it includes the 3 "Deshayesites" ammonite zones. The Upper Aptian spans the Gargasian and Clansayesian intervals, it includes the furcata to jacobi Tethys ammonite zones (Moullade et al. 2011 [8]).
A cold episode occurred at the start of the Aptian, as evidenced by the migration of the dinoflagellatesCepadinium variabilis and Pseudoceratium nohrhansenii into lower latitudes.[9] A decline in global pCO2 occurred from about 1,000 ppm to 800 ppm from the start of the Aptian to the C10 positive carbon isotope excursion.[10] During the late Aptian, pCO2 was between 515 ± 79 and 1029.8 ± 158 ppm as evidenced by the stomatal density of Pseudofrenelopsis capillata.[11]
↑Li, Yong-Xiang; Bralower, Timothy J.; Montañez, Isabel P.; Osleger, David A.; Arthur, Michael A.; Bice, David M.; Herbert, Timothy D.; Erba, Elisabetta et al. (15 July 2008). "Toward an orbital chronology for the early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE1a, ~ 120 Ma)". Earth and Planetary Science Letters271 (1–4): 88–100. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.03.055. Bibcode: 2008E&PSL.271...88L.
↑Moullade, Michel; Granier, Bruno; Tronchetti, Guy (2011). "The Aptian Stage: Back to fundamentals". Episodes34 (3): 148–156. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2011/v34i3/002.