Serravallian

Serravallian
13.82 – 11.63 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
Geochronological name	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	Mi3b Oxygen-isotopic event (Global cooling episode)
Lower boundary GSSP	Ras il Pellegrin section, Fomm ir-Riħ Bay, Malta 35°54′50″N14°20′10″E / 35.9139°N 14.3361°E / 35.9139; 14.3361
Lower GSSP ratified	2007 [4]
Upper boundary definition	LAD of the Haptophyte Discoaster kugleri
Upper boundary GSSP	Monte dei Corvi Beach section, Ancona, Italy 43°35′12″N13°34′10″E / 43.5867°N 13.5694°E / 43.5867; 13.5694
Upper GSSP ratified	2003 [5]

The Serravallian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or a stage in the middle Miocene Epoch/Series, which spans the time between 13.82 Ma and 11.63 Ma (million years ago). The Serravallian follows the Langhian and is followed by the Tortonian. ^[6]

It overlaps with the middle of the Astaracian European Land Mammal Mega Zone, the upper Barstovian and lower Clarendonian North American Land Mammal Ages and the Laventan and lower Mayoan South American Land Mammal Ages. It is also coeval with the Sarmatian and upper Badenian Stages of the Paratethys time scale of Central and eastern Europe.

Definition

The Serravallian Stage was introduced in stratigraphy by the Italian geologist Lorenzo Pareto in 1865. ^[7] It was named after the town of Serravalle Scrivia in northern Italy.

The base of the Serravallian is at the first occurrence of fossils of the nanoplankton species Sphenolithus heteromorphus and is located in the chronozone C5ABr. The official Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Serravallian is in the 'Ras il-Pellegrin' section, located at the 'Ras il-Pellegrin' headland in the vicinity of 'Fomm ir-Rih' Bay, SW Malta.The base of the Serravallian is represented in the field as the formation boundary between the Globigerina Limestone formation and the Blue Clay formation. ^[8] The base of the Serravallian is related to the Mi3b oxygen isotope excursion marking the onset of the Middle Miocene Cooling step.

The top of the Serravallian (the base of the Tortonian Stage) is at the last common appearance of calcareous nanoplanktons Discoaster kugleri and planktonic foram Globigerinoides subquadratus . It is also associated with the short normal-polarized chronozone C5r.2n.

Paleontology

Cartilaginous fish

• Lamniformes
  • Otodontidae: † Otodus ^[9]

Birds

Ancestors of the long-tailed duck have been found dating from the Serravalian of Hungary

• Anseriformes
  • Anatidae: Clangula sp. ^[10]

Mammals

• Primates
  • Hominidae: † Anoiapithecus ^[11]

Reptiles

• Squamata
  • Agamidae: Pogona and Diporiphora diverged from their last common ancestor during the Serravallian. ^[12]
• Crocodylomorpha
  • The last known sebecid, Barinasuchus , goes extinct about 11.8 mya. Thus ending the lineage of the notosuchians.

References

Notes

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 2, 2025.
4. Hilgen, F. J.; H. A. Abels; S. Iaccarino; W. Krijgsman; I. Raffi; R. Sprovieri; E. Turco; W. J. Zachariasse (2009). "The Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Serravallian Stage (Middle Miocene)" (PDF). Episodes. 32 (3): 152–166. doi: 10.18814/epiiugs/2009/v32i3/002 . Retrieved 26 December 2020.
5. Hilgen, F. J.; Hayfaa Abdul Aziz; Bice, David; Iaccarino, Silvia; Krijgsman, Wout; Kuiper, Klaudia; Montanari, Alessandro; Raffi, Isabella; Turco, Elena; Willem-Jan Zachariasse (2005). "The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Tortonian Stage (Upper Miocene) at Monte Dei Corvi" (PDF). Episodes. 28 (1): 6–17. doi: 10.18814/epiiugs/2005/v28i1/001 . Retrieved 26 December 2020.
6. Gradstein et al. (2004)
7. "Lorenzo Pareto, Note sur les subdivisions que l'on pourrait établir dans les terrains tertaires de l'Apennin septentrional In Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, volume 22, série 2, pp. 210-277" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
8. "GSSP Table - All Periods". Archived from the original on 2020-05-11.
9. Pimiento, C.; Clements, C. F. (2014). "When Did Carcharocles megalodon Become Extinct? A New Analysis of the Fossil Record". PLOS ONE. 9 (10) e111086. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k1086P. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111086 . PMC   4206505 . PMID   25338197.
10. Gál, Erika; Hír, János; Kessler, Eugén; Kókay, József (1998–1999). "Középsõ-miocén õsmaradványok, a Mátraszõlõs, Rákóczi-kápolna alatti útbevágásból. I. A Mátraszõlõs 1. lelõhely" [Middle Miocene fossils from the sections at the Rákóczi chapel at Mátraszőlős. Locality Mátraszõlõs I.](PDF). Folia Historico Naturalia Musei Matraensis (in Hungarian). 23: 33–78. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
11. Moyà-Solà, S.; Albab, David M.; Almécija, Sergio; Casanovas-Vilar, I; Köhler, M; De Esteban-Trivigno, S; Robles, JM; Galindo, J; Fortuny, J (2009). "A unique Middle Miocene European hominoid and the origins of the great ape and human clade". PNAS . 106 (24): 9601–9606. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106.9601M. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0811730106 . PMC   2701031 . PMID   19487676..
12. Hugall, Andrew; Foster, Ralph; Hutchinson, Mark; Michael, Lee (January 2008). "Phylogeny of Australasian agamid lizards based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes: implications for morphological evolution and biogeography". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 93 (2): 343–358. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00911.x .

Literature

• Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
• Pareto, L.; 1865: Note sur la subdivision que l'on pourrait etablir dans les terrains de l'Apennin septentrional, Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 2(22), p. 210-277. (in French)

External links

• GeoWhen Database - Serravallian
• 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