Albian

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System/
Period		 Series/
Epoch		 Stage/
Age		 Age (Ma)
Paleogene Paleocene Danian younger
Cretaceous Upper/
Late		 Maastrichtian 66.0–72.1
Campanian 72.1–83.6
Santonian 83.6–86.3
Coniacian 86.3–89.8
Turonian 89.8–93.9
Cenomanian 93.9–100.5
Lower/
Early		 Albian 100.5–~113.0
Aptian ~113.0–~125.0
Barremian ~125.0–~129.4
Hauterivian ~129.4–~132.9
Valanginian ~132.9–~139.8
Berriasian ~139.8–~145.0
Jurassic Upper/
Late		 Tithonian older
Subdivision of the Cretaceous system
according to the IUGS, as of July 2012.

The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 100.5 ± 0.9 Ma (million years ago). The Albian is preceded by the Aptian and followed by the Cenomanian.[1]

Stratigraphic definitions

The Albian stage (French Albien, from Alba = the River Aube in France) was first proposed in 1842 by Alcide d'Orbigny.

The base of the Albian is defined as the place in the stratigraphic column where the coccolithophore species Praediscosphaera columnata first appears. A reference profile for the base of the Albian stage (its GSSP) had in 2009 not yet been established.

The top of the Albian stage (the base of the Cenomanian stage and Upper Cretaceous series) is defined as the place where the foram species Rotalipora globotruncanoides first appears in the stratigraphic column.[2]

The Albian is sometimes subdivided in Early/Lower, Middle and Late/Upper subages or substages. In western Europe, especially in the UK, a subdivision in two substages (Vraconian and Gaultian) is more often used.

Lithofacies

The following representatives of the Albian stage are worthy of notice: the phosphorite beds of the Argonne and Bray areas in France; the Flammenmergel of northern Germany; the lignites of Utrillas in Spain; the Upper sandstones of Nubia, and the Fredericksburg beds of North America.

Palaeontology

†Ankylosaurs

Ankylosaurs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Acanthopholis
Animantarx
Pawpawsaurus
Sauropelta
Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA
Aptian to ?Albian Ulansuhai Formation, Inner Mongolia, China
Aptian to Albian Cloverly Formation, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, USA A medium-sized nodosaurid, measuring about 5 meters (16.5 ft) long, Sauropelta had a distinctively long tail which made up about half of its body length. Its neck and back were protected by an extensive bony body armor including characteristically large spines
Mongolia
Dakota Formation, Kansas, USA A nodosaurid estimated to have been approximately four meters in length (13 ft). Besides the usual rounded and polygonal osteoderms, Silvisaurus may have also sported bony spines on its shoulders and tail
Late Albian to early Cenomanian Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA A poorly known genus of nodosaurid
Paw Paw Formation, Texas, USA Poorly known, probably a nodosaurid

Birds (avian theropods)

Birds of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Jeholornis

Bony fish

Bony Fish of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Thrissops
Xiphactinus
Alabama, Georgia and Kansas, USA; Czech Republic; Canada; Australia

Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fish of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Western Interior Seaway, North America
Cretoxyrhina mantelli
Ischyodus
Scapanorhynchus
Europe, Russia, North America and New Zealand

†Ceratopsia

Ceratopsia of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Gobi Desert, Mongolia Had an intermediate phylogenetic position between Liaoceratops and Archaeoceratops within Neoceratopia
Yamaceratops

Crocodylomorphs

Crocodylomorphs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Africa
Sarcosuchus

†Ichthyosaurs

Ichthyosaurs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Platypterigius

Mammalia

Mammals of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
several species from Hauterivian to Albian Spain, Mongolia
Steropodon
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia

†Ornithopods

Ornithopods of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Khukhtek Formation, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia An advanced iguanodontian, just basal to the family Hadrosauridae
Altirhinus
Eolambia
Leaellynasaura
Muttaburrasaurus
Nanyangosaurus
Probactrosaurus
Qantassaurus
Tenontosaurus
Theiophytalia
Aptian/Albian Dinosaur Cove, Victoria, Australia 2–3 meters long hypsilophodont
Albian-Cenomanian Utah, USA An iguanodont
China
Mongolia
China An early hadrosauroid iguanodont, about 17 – 20 feet (5 – 6 metres) in length. It had a narrow snout, an elongated lower jaw and double rows of flattened cheek teeth. It was a possible ancestor of the duck-billed dinosaurs.
Barremian to Albian
Aptian to Albian Purgatoire Formation, Colorado, USA An iguanodont described as intermediate in derivation between Camptosaurus and Iguanodon
Aptian to Albian Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA Hypsilophodont

†Plesiosaurs

†Plesiosauria of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Aptian to Albian Hughenden district, Queensland, Australia Among the largest pliosaurs, body-length estimates put the total length of Kronosaurus at 9–10 meters
Kronosaurus

†Pterosauria

Pterosaurs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Cambridge Greensand, United Kingdom
Coloborhynchus
Pterodaustro
Thalassodromeus
Tupuxuara
Zhejiangopterus
Morocco; Santana Formation, Brazil; Paw Paw Formation, Texas, USA
Lianmuxin Formation, Xinjiang, China
Valanginian to Albian Lagarcito Formation, Argentina
Aptian or Albian Santana Formation, Brazil
Aptian to early Albian Santan do Cariri, Brazil; St Gallen, Switzerland
Albian or Cenomanian Santana Formation, Brazil
 ? Zhejiang, China

†Sauropods

Sauropods of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Mid to Late Albian Utah, USA
Brontomerus
Sauroposeidon
Egypt The only known bones of this sauropod were destroyed in World War II.
Early Cretaceous Brazil
Algeria The bones referred to "B." nougaredi probably belong to more than one different species.
Atian-Albian Utah
South America
Aptian or Albian Montana
Aptian-early Albian Oklahoma This sauropod weighed up to 60 tonnes, making it one of the largest known dinosaurs.
early Albian Tunisia Tataouinea had highly pneumatic pelvic bones, suggesting that sauropods had abdominal air sacs.

†Theropods (non-avian)

Theropods of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
North America
Acrocanthosaurus
Alxasaurus
Deinonychus
Fukuiraptor
Spinosaurus
Suchomimus
Utahraptor
Asia
Niger
North America
France
Japan
France
South America
Africa
Africa
Australia
North America The largest known dromaeosaurid

†Ammonites

†Ammonitida

  • Moffitites
Originating in Lower Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in lower Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Originating in Middle Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in middle Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Originating in Upper Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in upper Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Schloenbachia
Scaphites

†Belemnites

Belemnites of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Belemnites

Nautiloids

Nautiloids of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
An illustration of a variety of fossil nautiloids.

†Phylloceratida

References

Notes

  1. ↑ For a detailed geologic timescale, see Gradstein et al. (2004)
  2. ↑ See Kennedy et al. (2004) for a description of the GSSP for the Cenomanian
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Literature

  • Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
  • Kennedy, W.J.; Gale, A.S.; Lees, J.A. & Caron, M.; 2004: The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Cenomanian Stage, Mont Risou, Hautes-Alpes, France, Episodes 27, pp. 21–32.
  • d'Orbigny, A.C.V.M.; 1842: Paléontologie française: Terrains crétacés, vol. ii. (French)

External links

Cretaceous Period
Lower/Early Cretaceous Upper/Late Cretaceous
Berriasian | Valanginian | Hauterivian
Barremian| Aptian | Albian		 Cenomanian | Turonian | Coniacian
Santonian |Campanian | Maastrichtian
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