Late Jurassic

The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.5 ± 1.0 to 143.1 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.^[2]

Late/Upper Jurassic
161.5 ± 1.0 – ~143.1 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A map of Earth as it appeared 155 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Epoch, Oxfordian Age
Chronology
−205 — – −200 — – −195 — – −190 — – −185 — – −180 — – −175 — – −170 — – −165 — – −160 — – −155 — – −150 — – −145 — – −140 — Mesozoic T Jurassic K Late T Early Middle Late Early K Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian Toarcian Aalenian Bajocian Bathonian Callovian Oxfordian Kimmeridgian Tithonian       ← Triassic–Jurassic extinction event Subdivision of the Jurassic according to the ICS, as of 2024.[1] Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago
Etymology
Chronostratigraphic name	Upper Jurassic
Geochronological name	Late Jurassic
Name formality	Formal
Usage information
Celestial body	Earth
Regional usage	Global (ICS)
Time scale(s) used	ICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unit	Epoch
Stratigraphic unit	Series
Time span formality	Formal
Lower boundary definition	Not formally defined
Lower boundary definition candidates	Horizon of the Ammonite Cardioceras redcliffense.
Lower boundary GSSP candidate section(s)	Redcliff Point, Dorset, UK Savouron, Provence, France
Upper boundary definition	Not formally defined
Upper boundary definition candidates	Magnetic—base of Chron M18r Base of Calpionellid zone B FAD of Ammonite Berriasella jacobi
Upper boundary GSSP candidate section(s)	None

In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age.^[3] In the past, Malm was also used to indicate the unit of geological time, but this usage is now discouraged to make a clear distinction between lithostratigraphic and geochronologic/chronostratigraphic units.

Subdivisions

The Late Jurassic is divided into three ages, which correspond with the three faunal stages of Upper Jurassic rock:^[4]

Name	Start (Ma)	End (Ma)
Tithonian	149.2 ± 0.7	143.1 ± 0.8
Kimmeridgian	154.8 ± 0.8	149.2 ± 0.7
Oxfordian	161.5 ± 1.0	154.8 ± 0.8

Paleogeography

By the Late Jurassic, Pangaea had broken apart into Laurasia (Eurasia and North America) to the north and Gondwana to the south, divided by the wide Tethys Ocean. During the Late Jurassic, narrow ocean basins formed separating Eastern Gondwana (Antarctica, Australia, India and Madagascar), Western Gondwana (Africa, Arabia and South America) and Laurasia. These nascent oceans – including the young Atlantic Ocean – brought increased moisture to the formerly highly arid subtropical interior of Pangaea.

Deep ocean basins covered the poles, inhibiting the formation of polar ice caps. Polar summers were ice-free. The circulation of ocean currents between the high and low latitudes contributed to a generally warmer climate than today.^[5]

Life forms

This epoch is well known for many famous types of dinosaurs, such as the sauropods, the theropods, the thyreophorans, and the ornithopods. Other animals, such as some crocodylomorphs and the first birds, appeared in the Jurassic. Listed here are only a few of the many Jurassic animals:

Name	Description	Where found
Allosaurus	The most common Late Jurassic theropod	North America, also present in Europe
Anurognathus	One of the smallest pterosaurs	Europe
Apatosaurus	A large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	North America
Archaeopteryx	A bird-like maniraptoran	Europe
Barosaurus	An exceptionally long herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	North America
Brachiosaurus	A massive herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	North America
Brachytrachelopan	A small herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	South America
Brontosaurus	A large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	North America
Camarasaurus	A large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	North America
Camptosaurus	An ornithopod	North America and possibly Europe
Ceratosaurus	A medium-sized Jurassic carnivore	North America, Europe, and possibly Africa
Chaoyangsaurus	An early marginocephalian dinosaur	Asia
Compsognathus	A small theropod	Europe
Dakosaurus	A medium-sized sea-going crocodylomorph	Europe
Dicraeosaurus	A large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	Africa
Diplodocus	An exceptionally long herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	North America
Dryosaurus	An ornithopod	North America
Elaphrosaurus	A medium-sized Jurassic carnivore	Africa
Epanterias	A massive carnivore (possibly just Allosaurus)	North America
Europasaurus	A small herbivorous sauropod dinosaur	Europe
Gargoyleosaurus	A thyreophoran	North America
Giraffatitan	A large sauropod (formerly recognized as a species of Brachiosaurus)	Africa
Juramaia	A basal mammal	Asia
Kentrosaurus	A thyreophoran	Africa
Liopleurodon	A medium-sized sea-going pliosaur	Europe
Maraapunisaurus	Possibly among the largest sauropod dinosaurs ever known
Ophthalmosaurus	A very common sea-going ichthyosaur	Europe and North America
Ornitholestes	A small theropod	North America
Perisphinctes	An ammonite
Pterodactylus	A short-tailed pterosaur	Europe
Rhamphorhynchus	A long-tailed pterosaur	Europe
Saurophaganax	A giant carnivore; possibly the largest land predator of the Jurassic (possibly a synonym of Allosaurus)	North America
Stegosaurus	A thyreophoran	North America and Europe
Supersaurus	Possibly the longest sauropod dinosaur of them all
Torvosaurus	A large Jurassic carnivore	North America and Europe
Tuojiangosaurus	A thyreophoran	Asia
Yangchuanosaurus	A large theropod	Asia
Yinlong	An early marginocephalian dinosaur	Asia

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