Late Jurassic

Third epoch of the Jurassic Period

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Late/Upper Jurassic

161.5 ± 1.0 – ~145.0 Ma

PreꞒ

A map of Earth as it appeared 155 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Epoch, Oxfordian Age

Chronology

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Mesozoic

Jurassic

Late T

Early

Middle

Late

Early K

Hettangian

Sinemurian

Pliensbachian

Toarcian

Aalenian

Bajocian

Bathonian

Callovian

Oxfordian

Kimmeridgian

Tithonian

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Triassic–Jurassic extinction event

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Subdivision of the Jurassic according to the ICS, as of 2023.[1]
Vertical axis scale: millions of years ago.

Etymology
Chronostratigraphic name| Upper Jurassic
Geochronological name| Late Jurassic
Name formality| Formal
Usage information
Celestial body| Earth
Regional usage| Global (ICS)
Time scale(s) used| ICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unit| Epoch
Stratigraphic unit| Series
Time span formality| Formal
Lower boundary definition| Not formally defined
Lower boundary definition candidates| Horizon of the Ammonite Cardioceras redcliffense.
Lower boundary GSSP candidate section(s)|

* Redcliff Point, Dorset, UK
* Savouron, Provence, France

Upper boundary definition| Not formally defined
Upper boundary definition candidates|

* Magnetic—base of Chron M18r
* Base of Calpionellid zone B
* FAD of Ammonite Berriasella jacobi

Upper boundary GSSP candidate section(s)| None

The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.[2]

In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age.[3] In the past, Malm was also used to indicate the unit of geological time, but this usage is now discouraged to make a clear distinction between lithostratigraphic and geochronologic/chronostratigraphic units.

## Subdivisions

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The Late Jurassic is divided into three ages, which correspond with the three (faunal) stages of Upper Jurassic rock:[citation needed]

Tithonian | (149.2 ±0.7 – 145.0 ± 0.8 Ma)

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Kimmeridgian | (154.8 ±0.8 – 149.2 ±0.7 Ma)
Oxfordian | (161.5 ± 1.0 – 154.8 ±0.8 Ma)

## Paleogeography

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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2008)

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During the Late Jurassic Epoch, Pangaea broke up into two supercontinents, Laurasia to the north, and Gondwana to the south. The result of this break-up was the spawning of the Atlantic Ocean. However, at this time, the Atlantic Ocean was relatively narrow.[citation needed]

## Life forms of the epoch

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This epoch is well known for many famous types of dinosaurs, such as the sauropods, the theropods, the thyreophorans, and the ornithopods. Other animals, such as some crocodylomorphs and the first birds, appeared in the Jurassic. Listed here are only a few of the many Jurassic animals:

* Camarasaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
* Apatosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
* Brachiosaurus, a massive herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
* Brontosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
* Diplodocus, an exceptionally long herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
* Barosaurus, an exceptionally long herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
* Europasaurus, a small herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from Europe
* Brachytrachelopan, a small herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from South America
* Supersaurus, possibly the longest sauropod dinosaur of them all
* Maraapunisaurus, possibly among the largest sauropod dinosaurs ever known
* Dicraeosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from Africa
* Giraffatitan, another large sauropod from Africa (usually recognized as a species of Brachiosaurus)
* Allosaurus, the most common Late Jurassic theropod of North America, also present in Europe
* Epanterias, a massive carnivore from North America (possibly just Allosaurus)
* Saurophaganax, a giant carnivore from North America and possibly the largest land predator of the Jurassic (possibly a synonym of Allosaurus)
* Yangchuanosaurus, a large theropod from Asia
* Torvosaurus, a large Jurassic carnivore, from North America and Europe
* Ceratosaurus, a medium-sized Jurassic carnivore from North America, Europe, and possibly Africa
* Elaphrosaurus, a medium-sized Jurassic carnivore from Africa
* Ornitholestes, a small theropod from North America
* Compsognathus, a small theropod from Europe
* Tuojiangosaurus, a thyreophoran from Asia
* Stegosaurus, a thyreophoran from North America and Europe
* Kentrosaurus, a thyreophoran from Africa
* Gargoyleosaurus, a thyreophoran from North America
* Dryosaurus, a North American ornithopod
* Camptosaurus, an ornithopod from North America and possibly Europe
* Yinlong, an early marginocephalian dinosaur from Asia
* Chaoyangsaurus, an early marginocephalian dinosaur from Asia
* Juramaia, a basal mammal from Asia
* Archaeopteryx, a bird-like maniraptoran from Europe
* Rhamphorhynchus a long-tailed pterosaur from Europe
* Pterodactylus, a short-tailed pterosaur from Europe
* Anurognathus, one of the smallest pterosaurs from Europe
* Ophthalmosaurus, a very common sea-going ichthyosaur from Europe and North America
* Liopleurodon, a medium-sized sea-going pliosaur from Europe
* Dakosaurus, a medium-sized sea-going crocodylomorph from Europe
* Perisphinctes, an ammonite

[citation needed]

## References

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* Geology portal
* Paleontology portal

1. ^ "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy.
2. ^ Owen 1987.
3. ^ Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G.; Schmitz, M.D.; Ogg, G.M., eds. (2012). The Geologic Timescale 2012 (volume 1). Elsevier. p. 744\. ISBN 978-0-44-459390-0.

* Owen, Donald E. (March 1987). "Commentary: Usage of Stratigraphic Terminology in Papers, Illustrations, and Talks". Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. 57 (2): 363–372.
* Kazlev, M. Alan (2002-06-28). "Late Jurassic — The Malm Epoch: The Acme of the Dinosaurs". Palæos. Retrieved 2014-10-23.

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Jurassic Period

| Lower/Early Jurassic| Middle Jurassic| Upper/Late Jurassic

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* Hettangian
* Sinemurian
* Pliensbachian
* Toarcian

* Aalenian
* Bajocian
* Bathonian
* Callovian

* Oxfordian
* Kimmeridgian
* Tithonian

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Geological history of Earth

Cenozoic Era
(present–66.0 Ma)|

| Quaternary (present–2.58 Ma)|

* Holocene (present–11.7 ka)
* Pleistocene (11.7 ka–2.58 Ma)

|

Neogene (2.58–23.0 Ma)|

* Pliocene (2.59–5.33 Ma)
* Miocene (5.33–23.0 Ma)

Paleogene (23.0–66.0 Ma)|

* Oligocene (23.0–33.9 Ma)
* Eocene (33.9–56.0 Ma)
* Paleocene (56.0–66.0 Ma)

Mesozoic Era
(66.0–252 Ma)|

| Cretaceous (66.0–145 Ma)|

* Late (66.0–100 Ma)
* Early (100–145 Ma)

|

Jurassic (145–201 Ma)|

* Late (145–164 Ma)
* Middle (164–174 Ma)
* Early (174–201 Ma)

Triassic (201–252 Ma)|

* Late (201–237 Ma)
* Middle (237–247 Ma)
* Early (247–252 Ma)

Paleozoic Era
(252–539 Ma)|

| Permian (252–299 Ma)|

* Lopingian (252–260 Ma)
* Guadalupian (260–272 Ma)
* Cisuralian (272–299 Ma)

|

Carboniferous (299–359 Ma)|

* Pennsylvanian (299–323 Ma)
* Mississippian (323–359 Ma)

Devonian (359–419 Ma)|

* Late (359–383 Ma)
* Middle (383–393 Ma)
* Early (393–419 Ma)

Silurian (419–444 Ma)|

* Pridoli (419–423 Ma)
* Ludlow (423–427 Ma)
* Wenlock (427–433 Ma)
* Llandovery (433–444 Ma)

Ordovician (444–485 Ma)|

* Late (444–458 Ma)
* Middle (458–470 Ma)
* Early (470–485 Ma)

Cambrian (485–539 Ma)|

* Furongian (485–497 Ma)
* Miaolingian (497–509 Ma)
* Series 2 (509–521 Ma)
* Terreneuvian (521–539 Ma)

Proterozoic Eon
(539 Ma–2.5 Ga)|

| Neoproterozoic (539 Ma–1 Ga)|

* Ediacaran (539–635 Ma)
* Cryogenian (635–720 Ma)
* Tonian (720 Ma–1 Ga)

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Mesoproterozoic (1–1.6 Ga)|

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

Paleoproterozoic (1.6–2.5 Ga)|

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

Archean Eon (2.5–4 Ga)|

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

Hadean Eon (4–4.6 Ga)|

ka = kiloannum (thousand years ago); Ma = megaannum (million years ago); Ga = gigaannum (billion years ago).
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