Valanginian

In the geologic timescale, the Valanginian is an age or stage of the Early or Lower Cretaceous. It spans between 137.05 ± 0.2 Ma and 132.6 ± 0.2 Ma (million years ago).^[3] The Valanginian Stage succeeds the Berriasian Stage of the Lower Cretaceous and precedes the Hauterivian Stage of the Lower Cretaceous.^[4]

Valanginian
137.05 ± 0.2 – 132.6 ± 0.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Chronology
−140 — – −130 — – −120 — – −110 — – −100 — – −90 — – −80 — – −70 — – Mesozoic C Z J Cretaceous P g L J Early Late P C Tithonian Berriasian Valanginian Hauterivian Barremian Aptian Albian Cenomanian Turonian Coniacian Santonian Campanian Maastrichtian Danian         ← K-Pg mass extinction Subdivision of the Cretaceous according to the ICS, as of 2024.[1] Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago
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	FAD of the Calpionellid Calpionellites darderi
Lower boundary GSSP candidate section(s)	Montbrun-les-Bains, Drôme, France Cañada Luenga, Betic Cordillera, Spain
Upper boundary definition	FAD of the Ammonite genus Acanthodiscus
Upper boundary GSSP	La Charce, Drôme, France 44.4694°N 5.4437°E / 44.4694; 5.4437
Upper GSSP ratified	December 2019[2]

Stratigraphic definitions

The Valanginian was first described and named by Édouard Desor in 1853. It is named after Valangin, a small town north of Neuchâtel in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland.

The base of the Valanginian is at the first appearance of calpionellid species Calpionellites darderi in the stratigraphic column. A global reference section (a GSSP) had in 2009 not yet been appointed.

The top of the Valanginian (the base of the Hauterivian) is at the first appearance of the ammonite genus Acanthodiscus.^{[citation needed]}

Subdivision

The Valanginian is often subdivided in Lower and Upper substages. The Upper substage begins at the first appearance of ammonite species Saynoceras verrucosum and the major marine transgression Va3.

In the Tethys domain, the Valanginian stage contains five ammonite biozones:

• zone of Criosarasinella furcillata
• zone of Neocomites peregrinus
• zone of Saynoceras verrucosum
• zone of Busnardoites campylotoxus
• zone of Tirnovella pertransiens ^{[citation needed]}

Flora

The oldest fossils that can definitely be attributed to the clade Angiospermae (flowering plants) are dated to the Late Valanginian.^[5]