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Ratification of Neogene subseries as formal units in international chronostratigraphy

December 1, 2022

The International Union of Geological Sciences Executive Committee (IUGS EC) voted on 13 October 2021 to ratify a proposal for the Neogene subseries/subepochs to have formal status. They are now incorporated into a sixtiered chronostratigraphic hierarchy within the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (ICC). The Lower/Early Miocene Subseries/Subepoch comprises the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages/ages, the Middle Miocene Subseries/Subepoch comprises the Langhian and Serravallian stages/ages, the Upper/Late Miocene Subseries/Subepoch comprises the Tortonian and Messinian stages/ages, the Lower/Early Pliocene Subseries/Subepoch comprises the Zanclean Stage/Age and the Upper/Late Pliocene Subseries/Subepoch comprises the Piacenzian Stage/Age. This ratification is an important move towards both a common language in the wider Earth Sciences community and a step forward in the unification of Cenozoic chronostratigraphy, with Neogene and Quaternary subseries/subepochs now formalized.

Publication Year 2022
Title Ratification of Neogene subseries as formal units in international chronostratigraphy
DOI 10.18814/epiiugs/2022/022008
Authors Marie-Pierre Aubry, Kenneth Miller, Elena Turco, Jose Flores Villajero, Andrey Yu. Gladenkov, Patrick Grunert, Frits Hilgen, Hiroshi Nishi, Ann Holbourn, Wout Krijgsman, Fabrizio Lirer, Werner Piller, Frederic Quillevere, Isabella Raffi, Marci M. Robinson, Lorenzo Rook, Jun Tian, Maria Triantaphyllou, Felipe Vallejo
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Episodes
Index ID 70250298
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Florence Bascom Geoscience Center