Burdigalian

Burdigalian
20.45 – 15.98 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Chronology
−24 — – −22 — – −20 — – −18 — – −16 — – −14 — – −12 — – −10 — – −8 — – −6 — – −4 — – −2 — C e n o z o i c P g N e o g e n e Q O C M i o c e n e P l i o. P C Chattian Aquitanian Burdigalian Langhian Serravallian Tortonian Messinian Zanclean Piacenzian Gelasian         ← Messinian salinity crisis [1] ← North American prairie expands [2] Subdivision of the Neogene according to the ICS, as of 2024. [3] Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago
Formerly part of	Tertiary Period/System
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	Near FAD of the Planktonic Foraminiferan Globigerinoides altiaperturus Near top of magnetic polarity chronozone C6An
Lower boundary GSSP candidate section(s)	Astronomically tuned ODP-core
Upper boundary definition	Not formally defined
Upper boundary definition candidates	Near top of magnetic polarity chronozone C5Cn.1n Near FAD of the Planktonic Foraminiferan Praeorbulina glomerosa
Upper boundary GSSP candidate section(s)	La Vedova, Italy St. Peter's Pool, Malta Astronomically tuned ODP-core

The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.45 Ma and 15.98 Ma (million years ago). Preceded by the Aquitanian, the Burdigalian was the first and longest warming period of the Miocene ^[4] and is succeeded by the Langhian.

Stratigraphic definition

The name Burdigalian comes from Burdigala, the Latin name for the city of Bordeaux, France. The Burdigalian Stage was introduced in scientific literature by Charles Depéret in 1892.

The base of the Burdigalian is at the first appearance of foram species Globigerinoides altiaperturus and the top of magnetic chronozone C6An. As of 2016 ^[update] , an official GSSP for the Burdigalian had not yet been assigned.

The top of the Burdigalian (the base of the Langhian) is defined by the first appearance of foram species Praeorbulina glomerosa and is also coeval with the top of magnetic chronozone C5Cn.1n.

Paleontology

Famous Burdigalian palaeontologic localities include the Turritellenplatte of Ermingen in Germany and the Dominican amber deposits of Hispaniola.

Possible human evolutionary ancestors such as Victoriapithecus evolved during this time interval.

References

Footnotes

1. Krijgsman, Wout; Garcés, Miguel; Langereis, Cor G.; Daams, R.; Van Dam, J.; Van Der Meulen, A. J.; Agustí, Jordi; Cabrera, Lluis (August 1996). "A new chronology for the middle to late Miocene continental record in Spain" . Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 142 (3–4): 367–380. Bibcode:1996E&PSL.142..367K. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(96)00109-4 . Retrieved October 2, 2025.
2. Gregory J., Retallack (1997). "Neogene Expansion of the North American Prairie" . PALAIOS. 12 (4): 380–390. doi:10.2307/3515337. eISSN   1938-5323. ISSN   0883-1351. JSTOR   3515337 . Retrieved October 2, 2025.
3. "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy . December 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
4. Edward Petuch, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University, Department of Geosciences. "FAU Department of Geosciences". Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-05-01.

Literature

• Depéret, C.; 1892: Note sur la classification et le parallélisme du Système miocène, Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 3(20), p. CXLV-CLVI. (in French)
• Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.

External links

• GeoWhen Database - Burdigalian
• Neogene timescale, at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS
• Neogene timescale at the website of the Norwegian network of offshore records of geology and stratigraphy