Middle Pleistocene

Short description: Second unofficial division of the Pleistocene Epoch

The Middle Pleistocene is an unofficial sub-epoch in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy. It is intended to be the second division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently estimated to span the time between 0.773 Ma (760,000 years ago) and 0.126 Ma (126,000 years ago), also expressed as 773–126 ka. It includes the transition in palaeoanthropology from the Lower to the Middle Palaeolithic over 300 ka.

The Middle Pleistocene equates to the Chibanian Age of the geologic time scale (GTS), preceded by the official Calabrian and succeeded by the proposed Tarantian.[1] The beginning of the Chibanian is the Brunhes–Matuyama reversal, when the Earth's magnetic field last underwent reversal.[2] It ends with the onset of the Eemian interglacial period (Marine Isotope Stage 5).[3]

The term Middle Pleistocene is currently in use as a provisional or "quasi-formal" designation by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The International Chronostratigraphic Chart labels the last two Pleistocene divisions as Middle and Upper, spanning 773-126 ka and 126-11.7 ka, respectively.[1] While the two lowest ages of the Pleistocene, the Gelasian and the Calabrian have been officially defined to effectively constitute the Early Pleistocene sub-epoch, the Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene have yet to be formally defined, along with consideration of a proposed Anthropocene sub-division of the Holocene.[4]

## Contents

* 1 Definition process
* 2 Palaeoanthropology
* 3 Chronology
* 4 See also
* 5 References

## Definition process

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) had previously proposed replacement of the Middle Pleistocene by an Ionian Age based on strata found in Italy. In November 2017, however, the Chibanian (based on strata at a site in Chiba Prefecture, Japan) replaced the Ionian as the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy's preferred GSSP proposal for the age that should replace the Middle Pleistocene sub-epoch.[5] The "Chibanian" name was ratified by the IUGS in January 2020.[6]

## Palaeoanthropology

The Middle Pleistocene includes the transition in palaeoanthropology from the Lower to the Middle Palaeolithic: i.e., the emergence of Homo sapiens sapiens between 300 ka and 400 ka.[7] The oldest known human DNA dates to the Middle Pleistocene, around 430,000 years ago. This is the oldest found, (As of 2016).[8]

## Chronology

Further information: Timeline of glaciation

Further information: Marine isotope stage and Last glacial period

Further information: Brunhes–Matuyama reversal

Age  | paleoclimate  | glaciation  | palaeoanthropology

|
|
|

790–761 ka | MIS 19 | Günz (Elbe) glaciation | Peking Man (Homo erectus)
761–712 ka | MIS 18
712–676 ka | MIS 17
676–621 ka | MIS 16
621–563 ka | MIS 15 | Gunz-Haslach interglacial | Heidelberg Man (Homo heidelbergensis), Bodo cranium
563–524 ka | MIS 14
524–474 ka | MIS 13 | end of Cromerian (Günz-Mindel) interglacial | Boxgrove Man (Homo heidelbergensis)
474–424 ka | MIS 12 | Anglian Stage in Britain; Haslach glaciation | Tautavel Man (Homo erectus)
424–374 ka | MIS 11 | Hoxnian (Britain), Yarmouthian (North America) | Swanscombe Man (Homo heidelbergensis)
374–337 ka | MIS 10 | Mindel glaciation, Elster glaciation, Riss glaciation
337–300 ka | MIS 9 | Purfleet Interglacial in Britain | Mousterian
300–243 ka | MIS 8 |  | Irhoud 1 (Homo sapiens); Middle Paleolithic; Haplogroup A (Y-DNA)
243–191 ka | MIS 7 | Aveley Interglacial in Britain | Galilee Man (Homo sapiens); Haua Fteah
191–130 ka | MIS 6 | Illinoian Stage | Herto Man (Homo sapiens); Macro-haplogroup L (mtDNA); Mousterian
130-123 ka | MIS 5e | peak of Eemian interglacial sub-stage, or Ipswichian in Britain | Klasies River Caves; Sangoan

## See also

* Mid-Pleistocene Transition
* 100,000-year problem
* Pleistocene megafauna

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `ICC`
2. ↑ Gradstein, Felix M.; Ogg, James G.; Smith, Alan G., eds (2004). A Geological Time Scale 2004 (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 28. ISBN 9780521786737.
3. ↑ D. Dahl-Jensen & others (2013). "Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core". Nature 493 (7433): 489–494. doi:10.1038/nature11789. PMID 23344358. Bibcode: 2013Natur.493..489N. http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500331/1/2012-07-09846-NEEM_revised.pdf.
4. ↑ P. L. Gibbard (17 April 2015). "The Quaternary System/Period and its major sub-divisions". ScienceDirect. Elsevier BV. pp. 686–688. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1068797115000747. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
5. ↑ "Japan-based name 'Chibanian' set to represent geologic age of last magnetic shift". The Japan Times. 14 November 2017. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/11/14/national/science-health/japan-based-name-chibanian-set-represent-geologic-age-last-magnetic-shift. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
6. ↑ "「チバニアン」 国際学会が命名決定 日本の地層で初登録". NHK. 17 January 2020. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200117/k10012249251000.html. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
7. ↑ D. Richter & others (8 June 2017). "The Age of Hominin Fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, and the origins of the Middle Stone Age". Nature 546 (7657): 293–296. doi:10.1038/nature22335. PMID 28593967. .
8. ↑ Crew, Bec (15 March 2016). "The Oldest Human Genome Ever Has Been Sequenced, And It Could Rewrite Our History". ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/the-oldest-human-genome-ever-has-been-sequenced-and-it-could-rewrite-human-history. Retrieved 5 June 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Quaternary Period

| Pleistocene Epoch| Holocene Epoch

|

* Early
* Middle
* Late

* Meghalayan
* Northgrippian
* Greenlandian
* Preboreal
* Boreal
* Atlantic
* Subboreal
* Subatlantic

* v
* t
* e

Geological history of Earth

Cenozoic era
(present–66.0 Mya)|

| Quaternary (present–2.588 Mya)|

* Holocene (present–11.784 kya)
* Pleistocene (11.784 kya–2.588 Mya)

|

Neogene (2.588–23.03 Mya)|

* Pliocene (2.588–5.333 Mya)
* Miocene (5.333–23.03 Mya)

Paleogene (23.03–66.0 Mya)|

* Oligocene (23.03–33.9 Mya)
* Eocene (33.9–56.0 Mya)
* Paleocene (56.0–66.0 Mya)

Mesozoic era
(66.0–251.902 Mya)|

| Cretaceous (66.0–145.0 Mya)|

* Late (66.0–100.5 Mya)
* Early (100.5–145.0 Mya)

|

Jurassic (145.0–201.3 Mya)|

* Late (145.0–163.5 Mya)
* Middle (163.5–174.1 Mya)
* Early (174.1–201.3 Mya)

Triassic (201.3–251.902 Mya)|

* Late (201.3–237 Mya)
* Middle (237–247.2 Mya)
* Early (247.2–251.902 Mya)

Paleozoic era
(251.902–541.0 Mya)|

| Permian (251.902–298.9 Mya)|

* Lopingian (251.902–259.8 Mya)
* Guadalupian (259.8–272.3 Mya)
* Cisuralian (272.3–298.9 Mya)

|

Carboniferous (298.9–358.9 Mya)|

* Pennsylvanian (298.9–323.2 Mya)
* Mississippian (323.2–358.9 Mya)

Devonian (358.9–419.2 Mya)|

* Late (358.9–382.7 Mya)
* Middle (382.7–393.3 Mya)
* Early (393.3–419.2 Mya)

Silurian (419.2–443.8 Mya)|

* Pridoli (419.2–423.0 Mya)
* Ludlow (423.0–427.4 Mya)
* Wenlock (427.4–433.4 Mya)
* Llandovery (433.4–443.8 Mya)

Ordovician (443.8–485.4 Mya)|

* Late (443.8–458.4 Mya)
* Middle (458.4–470.0 Mya)
* Early (470.0–485.4 Mya)

Cambrian (485.4–541.0 Mya)|

* Furongian (485.4–497 Mya)
* Miaolingian (497–509 Mya)
* Series 2 (509–521 Mya)
* Terreneuvian (521–541.0 Mya)

Proterozoic eon
(541.0 Mya–2.5 Gya)|

| Neoproterozoic (541.0 Mya–1 Gya)|

* Ediacaran (541.0–~635 Mya)
* Cryogenian (~635–~720 Mya)
* Tonian (~720 Mya–1 Gya)

|

Mesoproterozoic (1–1.6 Gya)|

* Stenian (1–1.2 Gya)
* Ectasian (1.2–1.4 Gya)
* Calymmian (1.4–1.6 Gya)

Paleoproterozoic (1.6–2.5 Gya)|

* Statherian (1.6–1.8 Gya)
* Orosirian (1.8–2.05 Gya)
* Rhyacian (2.05–2.3 Gya)
* Siderian (2.3–2.5 Gya)

Archean eon (2.5–4 Gya)|

| Eras|

* Neoarchean (2.5–2.8 Gya)
* Mesoarchean (2.8–3.2 Gya)
* Paleoarchean (3.2–3.6 Gya)
* Eoarchean (3.6–4 Gya)

|

Hadean eon (4–4.6 Gya)|

|  |

|

kya = thousands years ago. Mya = millions years ago. Gya = billions years ago.
See also: Geologic time scale

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