Lutetian

System/ Period	Series/ Epoch	Stage/ Age	Age (Ma)
Neogene	Miocene	Aquitanian	younger
Paleogene	Oligocene	Chattian	23.03–28.1
		Rupelian	28.1–33.9
	Eocene	Priabonian	33.9–38.0
		Bartonian	38.0–41.3
		Lutetian	41.3–47.8
		Ypresian	47.8–56.0
	Paleocene	Thanetian	56.0–59.2
		Selandian	59.2–61.6
		Danian	61.6–66.0
Cretaceous	Upper/ Late	Maastrichtian	older
Subdivision of the Paleogene Period according to the ICS, as of January 2013.[1]

The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene.^[2] It spans the time between 47.8 and 41.2 Ma. The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian.^[3] Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the Middle Eocene subepoch.

Stratigraphic definition

The Lutetian was named after Lutetia, the Latin name for the city of Paris. The Lutetian stage was introduced in scientific literature by French geologist Albert de Lapparent in 1883^[4] and revised by A. Blondeau in 1981.^[5]

The base of the Lutetian stage is at the first appearance of the nanofossil Blackites inflatus, according to an official reference profile (GSSP) established in 2009.^[6] Of two candidates located in Spain, the Gorrondatxe section was chosen.^[7]

The top of the Lutetian (the base of the Bartonian) is at the first appearance of calcareous nanoplankton species Reticulofenestra reticulata.

The Lutetian overlaps with the Geiseltalian and lower Robiacian European Land Mammal Mega Zones (The Lutetian stage spans the Mammal Paleogene zones 11 through 15.^[8]), the upper Bridgerian and Uintan North American Land Mammal Ages, the upper Arshantan and Irdinmanhan Asian Land Mammal Ages and the Mustersan and lower Divisaderan South American Land Mammal Ages. It is also coeval with the middle Johannian regional stage of Australia and the upper Ulatisian and lower Nanzian regional stages of California.

References

1. Cohen, K.M.; Finney, S.; Gibbard, P.L. (2013), International Chronostratigraphic Chart (PDF), International Commission on Stratigraphy.
2. Established by D.G. Jenkins and H. Luterbacher, "Paleogene stages and their boundaries (introductory remarks)" in Neues Jarhbuch fur Geologie und Paläontologie 1992.
3. Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G. (2004): A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
4. de Lapparent, A.A.C. (1883): Traité de Géologie, Paris.
5. Blondeau (1981): "Lutetian" in Bulletin d'information des géologues du Bassin de Paris, 2, pp. 167–180.
6. "The Lutetian GSSP at meter 167.85 of the Gorrondatxe section in a dark marly level where the nanofossil Blackites inflatus first appears" (working group website).
7. See the website of Eustoquio Molina for these candidates.
8. Alroy, John. "Mammal Paleogene zones". p. The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 15 July 2009.

External links

• GeoWhen Database - Lutetian
• Paleogene timescale, at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS
• Stratigraphic chart of the Paleogene, at the website of Norges Network of offshore records of geology and stratigraphy