| System (period) | Series (epoch) | Stage (age) | Lower boundary, Ma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paleogene | Paleocene | Danian | 66,0 | |
| Cretaceous | Upper (Late) | Maastrichtian |  72.1±0.2
| |
| Campanian | 83.6±0.2
| |||
| Santonian | 86.3±0.5
| |||
| Coniacian | 89.8±0.3
| |||
| Turonian | 93.9
| |||
| Cenomanian | 100.5
| |||
| Lower (Early) | Albian | ~113.0
| ||
| Aptian | ~121.4 | |||
| Barremian | 125.77* | |||
| Hauterivian | ~132.6
| |||
| Valanginian | ~139.8 | |||
| Berriasian | ~145.0 | |||
| Jurassic | Upper | Tithonian | older | |
| Subdivisions and "golden spikes" according to IUGS as of September 2023[1] *A golden spike is seen in chart but not ratified yet. | ||||
The Campanian is a fifth stage of the Upper Cretaceous series, corresponding to the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous epoch. It lasted from approximately 83.6 Ma to around 72.1 Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Santonian and is followed by the Maastrichtian.
It was important time for plant and flower life. The first waterfowls (Anseriformes) likely appeared during this age.
Definition[]
The GSSP of the Campanian stage was ratified in 2022. The lower boundary is fixed in Bottaccione Gorge Section at Gubbio, Italy, and related to the base of Chron C33r.[2]
Campanian life[]
There were many ammonites living in the ocean. Many of them like Menuites, Patagiosites and Pachydiscus had a twisted shell, but in some genera the shell acquired a bizarre shape. The shell of Didymoceras had the shape of a curved and stretched spiral. Probably, this animal was not adapted to swimming in the water column and lived on the seabed. Baculites had a straightened shell, which gave it a resemblance to endocerids from the Paleozoic. Squid-like belemnites, such as Belemnellocamax, Belemnitella, Actinocamax and Gonioteuthis, also lived in the seas.
Cartilaginous fish reached large numbers and lived in all the seas of the planet. Various lamniform (Archaeolamna, Cretoxyrhina, Squalicorax), carcharhiniform (Galeorhinus, Palaeogaleus, Crassescyliorhinus) and orectolobiform (Cederstroemia, Pararhincodon, Hemiscyllium) sharks as well as rajiforms (Squatirhina, Rhinobatos, Schizorhiza) are known from the Campanian strata. Among the bony fish there were such predators as Protosphyraena, Enchodus and Xiphactinus. Aulopiform fish like Cimolichthys also lived in the oceans.
Plesiosaurs were represented by short-necked (Dolichorhynchops) and long-necked (Styxosaurus) forms that fed on small fish. Various marin turtles, such as Toxochelys, bigger Protostega and gigantic Archelon lived in warm waters. The main predators of that time were mosasaurs. Campanian genera include Clidastes, Eonatator, Halisaurus, Prognathodon, Tylosaurus and Mosasaurus. Several avian dinosaurs like Hesperornis and Canadaga also lived in seas.
The fresh waters were home to many crocodylians, including Shamosuchus, Zaraasuchus and Deinosuchus, one of the largest crocodylians of all time.
Velociraptor and two Protoceratops
Numerous herds of ornithischian dinosaurs grazed on the northern continents. Hadrosaurids (Tsintaosaurus, Saurolophus, Prosaurolophus, Kritosaurus) had flat beaks, which is why they are called duck-billed dinosaurs. More massive ceratopsians (Protoceratops, Chasmosaurus, Styracosaurus, Pentaceratops) had sharper, hooked beaks, as well as bony frills on their heads, which they probably used to attract mates and protect themselves from predators. Pachycephalosaurs like Stegoceras are notable for the presence of a bony thickening at the top of the skull which probably used to fight each other and to protect themselves from predators. Various ankylosaurs (Tarchia, Saichania, Nodocephalosaurus, Dyoplosaurus) defended themselves from predators with armor, spikes, and bony thickenings on their tails. The largest carnivores of the northern continents were tyrannosaurids. Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Appalachiosaurus and Teratophoneus was found in North America while Zhuchengtyrannus was likely the apex predator of modern Asia during Campanian. Smaller theropods like Troodon, Saurornitholestes, Dromaeosaurus and Velociraptor hunted mostly lizards, mammals and small dinosaurs. At this time, birds (Ichthyornis, Gobipteryx, Elsornis) had already spread widely, and the first Anseriformes such as Presbyornis probably arose among them.
The southern continents were home to herds of sauropods, including Puertasaurus, one of the largest land animals in Earth's history. Other sauropods of the time include South American Neuquensaurus, Laplatasaurus and Pellegrinisaurus. The largest carnivores of the northern continents were abelisaurids includin the type genus, Abelisaurus. Like tyrannosaurids, they had short front legs and relied mainly on their powerful jaws to attack. Orkoraptor probably had longer forelimbs. This genus belongs to the Megaraptoridae, the poorly known theropod family of the Late Cretaceous.
Pterosaurs like Aerotitan soared in the skies.
The continents were home to many small mammals. Campanian genera include Zalambdalestes, Asioryctes, Ukhaatherium, Kennalestes, Kamptobaatar and Catopsbaatar from the Campanian sediments of Djadokhta Formation in Mongolia.
References[]
- ↑ "Latest version of international chronostratigraphic chart". International Commission on Stratigraphy. https://stratigraphy.org/chart#latest-version.
- ↑ "GSSP Table - Mesozoic Era". https://timescalefoundation.org/gssp/index.php?parentid=35.