Langhian
Encyclopedia
The Langhian is, in the ICS
geologic timescale, an age or stage in the middle Miocene
epoch
/series
. It spans the time between 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma and 13.65 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). The Langhian was a continuing warming period defined by Lorenzo Pareto in 1864, it was originally established in the Langhe
area north of Ceva
in northern Italy, hence the name. The Langhian is preceded by the Burdigalian
and followed by the Serravallian
stage.
The top of the Langhian stage (the base of the Serravallian stage) is at the first occurrence of fossils of the nannoplankton species Sphenolithus heteromorphus and is located in magnetic chronozone C5ABr.
The Langhian is coeval with the Orleanian
and Astaracian
European Land Mammal Mega Zones (more precisely: with biozone
s MN5 and MN6, MN6 starts just below the Langhian-Serravallian boundary), with the upper Hemingfordian to mid-Barstovian
North American Land Mammal Ages, with mid-Relizian to Luisian California
n regional stages (the Luisian extends barely into the early Serravallian), with the early-mid Badenian Paratethys
stage of Central and eastern Europe, with the Tozawan stage in Japan
(which runs barely into the early Serravallian), with the late Batesfordian through Balcombian to early Bairnsdalian Australia
n stages and with the mid-Cliffdenian to mid-Lillburnian New Zealand
stages.
Mammal
International Commission on Stratigraphy
The International Commission on Stratigraphy , sometimes referred to by the unofficial "International Stratigraphic Commission" is a daughter or major subcommittee grade scientific daughter organization that concerns itself with stratigraphy, geological, and geochronological matters on a global...
geologic timescale, an age or stage in the middle Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
epoch
Epoch (geology)
An epoch is a subdivision of the geologic timescale based on rock layering. In order, the higher subdivisions are periods, eras and eons. We are currently living in the Holocene epoch...
/series
Series (stratigraphy)
Series are subdivisions of rock layers made based on the age of the rock and corresponding to the dating system unit called an epoch, both being formally defined international conventions of the geological timescale. A series is therefore a sequence of rock depositions defining a...
. It spans the time between 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma and 13.65 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). The Langhian was a continuing warming period defined by Lorenzo Pareto in 1864, it was originally established in the Langhe
Langhe
The Langhe is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy....
area north of Ceva
Ceva
Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, 49 km east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream.-History:...
in northern Italy, hence the name. The Langhian is preceded by the Burdigalian
Burdigalian
The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma...
and followed by the Serravallian
Serravallian
The Serravallian is in the geologic timescale an age or a stage in the middle Miocene epoch/series, that spans the time between 13.65 ± 0.05 Ma and 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma...
stage.
Stratigraphic definition
The base of the Langhian is defined by the first appearance of foraminifer species Praeorbulina glomerosa and is also coeval with the top of magnetic chronozone C5Cn.1n. A GSSP for the Langhian stage was not yet established in 2009.The top of the Langhian stage (the base of the Serravallian stage) is at the first occurrence of fossils of the nannoplankton species Sphenolithus heteromorphus and is located in magnetic chronozone C5ABr.
The Langhian is coeval with the Orleanian
Orleanian
The Orleanian age is a period of geologic time , within the Miocene and used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Astaracian age and follows the Agenian age....
and Astaracian
Astaracian
The Astaracian age age is a period of geologic time , equivalent with the Middle Miocene and used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Vallesian age and follows the Orleanian age. The Astaracian overlaps the Langhian and Serravallian ages....
European Land Mammal Mega Zones (more precisely: with biozone
Biozone
Biostratigraphic units or Biozones are intervals of geological strata that are defined on the basis of their characteristic fossil taxa....
s MN5 and MN6, MN6 starts just below the Langhian-Serravallian boundary), with the upper Hemingfordian to mid-Barstovian
Barstovian
The Barstovian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 16,300,000 to 13,600,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Langhian and Serravallian...
North American Land Mammal Ages, with mid-Relizian to Luisian California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n regional stages (the Luisian extends barely into the early Serravallian), with the early-mid Badenian Paratethys
Paratethys
The Paratethys ocean, Paratethys sea or just Paratethys was a large shallow sea that stretched from the region north of the Alps over Central Europe to the Aral Sea in western Asia. The sea was formed during the Oxfordian epoch as an extension of the rift that formed the Central Atlantic Ocean and...
stage of Central and eastern Europe, with the Tozawan stage in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(which runs barely into the early Serravallian), with the late Batesfordian through Balcombian to early Bairnsdalian Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n stages and with the mid-Cliffdenian to mid-Lillburnian New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
stages.
Cartilaginous fish
Sharks, rays, skates and relatives- Chlamydoselachidae: †Chlamydoselachus tobleri
- Hexanchidae: Hexanchus griseus (includes "H. andersoni" and "H. gigas"), Hexanchus nakamurai (includes "H. vitulus"), Notorynchus cepedianus (includes "N. kempi" and "N. primigenius")
MammalMammalMammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s
- RodentRodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
ia- CricetidaeCricetidaeThe Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, and New World rats and mice...
: †KarydomysKarydomysKarydomys is a genus of fossil Eurasian hamster-like rodents in the subfamily Democricetodontinae from the Langhian stage in the middle Miocene epoch.-Species:* Karydomys boskosi, C.D... - Sciuridae: †Palaeosciurus, ?Ratufa
- Cricetidae
Literature
; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.; 1864: Note sur la subdivision que l'on pourrait etablir dans les terrains de l'Apennin septentrional, Bulletin de la Societé Géologique de France 2(22), p. 210-277.External links
- GeoWhen Database - Langhian
- 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