Valanginian

Second age of the early Cretaceous

Valanginian

137.05 ± 0.2 – 132.6 ± 0.6 Ma

PreꞒ

Chronology

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−130 —

−120 —

−110 —

−100 —

−90 —

−80 —

−70 —

Mesozoic

Cretaceous

Early

Late

Tithonian

Berriasian

Valanginian

Hauterivian

Barremian

Aptian

Albian

Cenomanian

Turonian

Coniacian

Santonian

Campanian

Maastrichtian

Danian

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K-Pg mass
extinction

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Subdivision of the Cretaceous according to the ICS, as of 2024.[1]
Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago

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| Not formally defined
Lower boundary definition candidates| FAD of the Calpionellid Calpionellites darderi
Lower boundary GSSP candidate section(s)|

* Montbrun-les-Bains, Drôme, France
* Cañada Luenga, Betic Cordillera, Spain

Upper boundary definition| FAD of the Ammonite genus Acanthodiscus
Upper boundary GSSP| La Charce, Drôme, France
44°28′10″N 5°26′37″E﻿ / ﻿44.4694°N 5.4437°E﻿ / 44.4694; 5.4437
Upper GSSP ratified| December 2019[2]

In the geologic timescale, the Valanginian is an age or stage of the Early or Lower Cretaceous. It spans between 137.05 ± 0.2 Ma and 132.6 ± 0.2 Ma (million years ago).[3] The Valanginian Stage succeeds the Berriasian Stage of the Lower Cretaceous and precedes the Hauterivian Stage of the Lower Cretaceous.[4]

## Stratigraphic definitions

[edit]

The Valanginian was first described and named by Édouard Desor in 1853. It is named after Valangin, a small town north of Neuchâtel in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland.

The base of the Valanginian is at the first appearance of calpionellid species Calpionellites darderi in the stratigraphic column. A global reference section (a GSSP) had in 2009 not yet been appointed.

The top of the Valanginian (the base of the Hauterivian) is at the first appearance of the ammonite genus Acanthodiscus.[citation needed]

### Subdivision

[edit]

The Valanginian is often subdivided in Lower and Upper substages. The Upper substage begins at the first appearance of ammonite species Saynoceras verrucosum and the major marine transgression Va3.

In the Tethys domain, the Valanginian stage contains five ammonite biozones:

* zone of Criosarasinella furcillata
* zone of Neocomites peregrinus
* zone of Saynoceras verrucosum
* zone of Busnardoites campylotoxus
* zone of Tirnovella pertransiens [citation needed]

## Flora

[edit]

The oldest fossils that can definitely be attributed to the clade Angiospermae (flowering plants) are dated to the Late Valanginian.[5]

## References

[edit]

### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. December 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
2. ^ Mutterlose, Jörg; Rawson, Peter; Reboulet, Stéphane; Baudin, François; Bulot, Luc; Emmanuel, Laurent; Gardin, Silvia; Martinez, Mathieu; Renard, Maurice (September 2020). "The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Hauterivian Stage (Lower Cretaceous), La Charce, southeast France". Episodes. 44 (2): 129–150\. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2020/020072. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
3. ^ Cohen, K.M., Finney, S.C., Gibbard, P.L. & Fan, J.-X. (2013; updated) The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart. Episodes 36: 199–204.
4. ^ See Gradstein et al. (2004) for a detailed geologic timescale
5. ^ Coiro M, Doyle JA, Hilton J (July 2019). "How deep is the conflict between molecular and fossil evidence on the age of angiosperms?". The New Phytologist. 223 (1): 83–99\. Bibcode:2019NewPh.223...83C. doi:10.1111/nph.15708. PMID 30681148.

### Literature

[edit]

* Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; (2004): A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.

## External links

[edit]

* GeoWhen Database - Valanginian
* Mid-Cretaceous timescale and ühttp://stratigraphy.science.purdue.edu/charts/Timeslices/5_JurCret.pdf Jurassic-Cretaceous timescale], at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS
* Stratigraphic chart of the Lower Cretaceous, at the website of Norges Network of offshore records of geology and stratigraphy

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Cretaceous Period

| Lower/Early Cretaceous| Upper/Late Cretaceous

|

* Berriasian
* Valanginian
* Hauterivian
* Barremian
* Aptian
* Albian

* Cenomanian
* Turonian
* Coniacian
* Santonian
* Campanian
* Maastrichtian

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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)

|

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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