| System (period) | Series | Stage (age) | Lower boundary, Ma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quaternary | Holocene | Meghalayan |  0.0042
| |
| Northgrippian | 0.0082
| |||
| Greenlandian | 0.0117
| |||
| Pleistocene | Upper | 0.129 | ||
| Chibanian | 0.774
| |||
| Calabrian | 1.80
| |||
| Gelasian | 2.58
| |||
| Neogene | Pliocene | Piacenzian | older | |
| Subdivisions and "golden spikes" according to IUGS as of September 2023[1] | ||||
The Calabrian is a second stage of the Pleistocene series, corresponding to the Calabrian age of the Pleistocene epoch. It lasted from approximately 1.80 Ma to around 0.774 Ma (million years ago) and. This is the last age that began more than 1 million years ago. It is preceded by the Gelasian and is followed by the Chibanian age of the Pleistocene. The last deinotheriids are known from this stage.
Definition[]
The GSSP of the Calabrian stage was ratified in 1985. The lower boundary is fixed in Vrica, Italy, and related to the base of the marine claystone overlying the sapropelic marker Bed "e" (Mediterranean Precession Related Sapropel 176).[2]
Calabrian life[]
The marine world was very similar to the modern one. Foraminiferans Planulina, Melonis, Globigerinoides, Hyalinea and Cassidulinoides are known from the Calabrian sediments of Lake San Giuliano, Italy. The whiptail stingrays (Dasyatidae), sea lions (Otariinae) and extinct sea cows (Hydrodamalis) lived along the coasts. Whales belonging to the order Artiodactyla have reached gigantic sizes, up to 20-30 m in length. Some of those species like sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) still exist today.
Kolpochoerus limnetes
On land, artiodactyls also reached large numbers. Various bovids like Gazella, Tragelaphus, impalas (Aepyceros), Menelikia, Kobus, Damaliscus and huge (over 1 t) Pelorovis lived in East Africa. Other artiodactyls from this region include Hippopotamus gorgops, Libytherium maurusium, numerous swines (Kolpochoerus, Metridiochoerus, Phacochoerus) and modern giraffe (Giraffa). Among perissodactyls, genera such as Hipparion still existed, but horses of the genus Equus were already becoming predominant. Equus oldowayensis is known from the Calabrian of Tanzania. Ancylotherium, one of the latest chalicotheriids, still existed in Africa. Modern black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceroses grazed on savannas. The largest terrestrial herbivores were proboscideans, more diverse than today. Deinotherium bozasi, the latest known deinotheriid, had down-curved tusks on the lower jaw, while Palaeoloxodon recki resembled modern elephants, but was noticeably larger. These diverse herbivores were hunted by carnivorans including modern hyenas (Crocuta) and jackals (Lupulella mesomelas). Among cats, there were saber-toothed Megantereon, Dinofelis and Homotherium. The hunting method of such predators was probably different from the hunting of lions that already existed at that time. Hystrix, which still live in savannas, defended themselves from enemies with the help of long spines on their backs. Various primates lived in the same places. Cercopithecids (Theropithecus, Cercocebus, Cercopithecoides, Colobus) lived both on the ground and in trees, while hominids adapted to life in open spaces. The last Australopithecus coexisted with humans, among whom Homo erectus reached the largest numbers. By this time, this species had spread from Africa to Eurasia. In Georgia, Homo erectus (also known as "Homo georgicus") lived alongside deer (Eucladoceros), mammoths (Mammuthus meridionalis) and ostriches (Struthio dmanisensis).
The rivers and lakes were inhabited by turtles (Trionyx) and crocodiles, including the giant (up to 10 m) Euthecodon from East Africa.
References[]
- ↑ "Latest version of international chronostratigraphic chart". International Commission on Stratigraphy. https://stratigraphy.org/chart#latest-version.
- ↑ "GSSP Table - Cenozoic Era". https://timescalefoundation.org/gssp/index.php?parentid=2.