Tortonian

Geologic age of the late Miocene

Tortonian

11.63 – 7.246 Ma

PreꞒ

An map of the world 10 million years ago, during the Tortonian Age.

Chronology

−24 --

−22 --

−20 --

−18 --

−16 --

−14 --

−12 --

−10 --

−8 --

−6 --

−4 --

−2 --

Chattian

Aquitanian

Burdigalian

Langhian

Serravallian

Tortonian

Messinian

Zanclean

Piacenzian

Gelasian

| | <-|

Messinian salinity crisis[1]

|

<-|

North American prairie expands[2]

|

Subdivision of the Neogene according to the ICS, as of 2023.[3]
Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago

Formerly part of| Tertiary Period/System
Etymology
Name formality| Formal
Usage information
Celestial body| Earth
Regional usage| Global (ICS)
Time scale(s) used| ICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unit| Age
Stratigraphic unit| Stage
Time span formality| Formal
Lower boundary definition| LAD of the Haptophyte Discoaster kugleri
Lower boundary GSSP| Monte dei Corvi Beach section, Ancona, Italy
43°35′12″N 13°34′10″E﻿ / ﻿43.5867°N 13.5694°E﻿ / 43.5867; 13.5694
Lower GSSP ratified| 2003[4]
Upper boundary definition|

* First regular occurrence of the Planktonic Foraminifer Globorotalia miotumida
* FAD of the Haptophyte Amaurolithus delicatus

Upper boundary GSSP| Oued Akrech section, Rabat, Morocco
33°56′13″N 6°48′45″W﻿ / ﻿33.9369°N 6.8125°W﻿ / 33.9369; -6.8125
Upper GSSP ratified| January 2000[5]

The Tortonian is in the geologic time scale an age or stage of the late Miocene that spans the time between 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma and 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago).[3] It follows the Serravallian and is followed by the Messinian.

The Tortonian roughly overlaps with the regional Pannonian Stage of the Paratethys timescale of Central Europe. It also overlaps the upper Astaracian, Vallesian and lower Turolian European land mammal ages, the upper Clarendonian and lower Hemphillian North American land mammal ages and the upper Chasicoan and lower Huayquerian South American land mammal ages.

## Definition

[edit]

The Tortonian was introduced by Swiss stratigrapher Karl Mayer-Eymar in 1858. It was named after the Italian city of Tortona in the Piedmont region.

The base of the Tortonian Stage is at the last common appearance of calcareous nanoplankton Discoaster kugleri and planktonic foram Globigerinoides subquadratus. It is also associated with the short normal polarized magnetic chronozone C5r.2n. A GSSP for the Tortonian has been established in the Monte dei Corvi section near Ancona (Italy).[6]

The top of the Tortonian (the base of the Messinian) is at the first appearance of the planktonic foram species Globorotalia conomiozea and is stratigraphically in the middle of magnetic chronozone C3Br.1r.

## Geologic history

[edit]

In 2020, geologists reported two newly-identified supervolcano eruptions associated with the Yellowstone hotspot track, including the region's largest and most cataclysmic event - the Grey's Landing super-eruption - which had a volume of at least 2,800 cubic kilometres (670 cubic miles) and occurred around 8.72 Ma.[7][8]

Around 10 Ma, the inflow of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) into the Indian Ocean increased significantly.[9]

## References

[edit]

### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Krijgsman, W.; Garcés, M.; Langereis, C. G.; Daams, R.; Van Dam, J.; Van Der Meulen, A. J.; Agustí, J.; Cabrera, L. (1996). "A new chronology for the middle to late Miocene continental record in Spain". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 142 (3–4): 367–380\. Bibcode:1996E&PSL.142..367K. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(96)00109-4.3–4&rft.pages=367-380&rft.date=1996&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/0012-821X(96)00109-4&rft_id=info:bibcode/1996E&PSL.142..367K;&rft.au=Krijgsman,+W.&rft.au=Garcés,+M.&rft.au=Langereis,+C.+G.&rft.au=Daams,+R.&rft.au=Van+Dam,+J.&rft.au=Van+Der+Meulen,+A.+J.&rft.au=Agustí,+J.&rft.au=Cabrera,+L.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Tortonian" class="Z3988">
2. ^ Retallack, G. J. (1997). "Neogene Expansion of the North American Prairie". PALAIOS. 12 (4): 380–390\. doi:10.2307/3515337. JSTOR 3515337. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
3. ^ a b "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. September 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
4. ^ Hilgen, F. J.; Hayfaa Abdul Aziz; Bice, David; Iaccarino, Silvia; Krijgsman, Wout; Kuiper, Klaudia; Montanari, Alessandro; Raffi, Isabella; Turco, Elena; Willem-Jan Zachariasse (2005). "The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Tortonian Stage (Upper Miocene) at Monte Dei Corvi" (PDF). Episodes. 28 (1): 6–17\. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2005/v28i1/001. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
5. ^ Hilgen, F. J.; S. Iaccarino; W. Krijgsman; G. Villa; C. G. Langereis; W. J. Zachariasse (2000). "The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Messinian Stage (uppermost Miocene)" (PDF). Episodes. 23 (3): 172–178\. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2000/v23i3/004.
6. ^ By Hilgen et al. (2005)
7. ^ Knott, T.R.; Branney, M.J.; Reichow, M.K.; Finn, D.R.; Tapster, S.; Coe, R.S. (2020). "Discovery of two new super-eruptions from the Yellowstone hotspot track (USA): Is the Yellowstone hotspot waning?". Geology. 48 (9): 934–938\. Bibcode:2020Geo....48..934K. doi:10.1130/G47384.1.
8. ^ "Discovery of Ancient Super-Eruptions Indicates the Yellowstone Hotspot May Be Waning". The Geological Society of America. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
9. ^ Banerjee, Barnita; Ahmad, Syed Masood; Raza, Waseem; Raza, Tabish (15 January 2017). "Paleoceanographic changes in the Northeast Indian Ocean during middle Miocene inferred from carbon and oxygen isotopes of foraminiferal fossil shells". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 466: 166–173\. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.11.021. Retrieved 1 February 2025 - via Elsevier Science Direct.

### Literature

[edit]

Wikisource has original works on the topic: Cenozoic#Neogene

* Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
* Hilgen, F.; Abdul Aziz, H.; Bice, D.; Iaccarino, S.; Krijgsman, W.; Kuiper, K.; Montanari, A.; Raffi, I.; Turco, E. & Zachariasse, W.-J.; 2005: The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Tortonian Stage (Upper Miocene) at Monte Dei Corvi, Episodes 28, p. 6-17.
* Mayer-Eymar, K.; 1858: Versuch einer neuen Klassifikation der Tertiär-Gebilde Europa’s, Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, Jahresversammlung 1857, p. 70–71 & 165–199. (in German)

## External links

[edit]

* GeoWhen Database - Tortonian
* 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

* v
* t
* e

Neogene Period

| Miocene Epoch| Pliocene Epoch

|

* Aquitanian
* Burdigalian
* Langhian
* Serravallian
* Tortonian
* Messinian

* Zanclean
* Piacenzian

* v
* t
* e

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)

|

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).
See also: Geologic time scale • Geology portal • World portal
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template