Messinian

Messinian
Messinian
Chronology
←	Messinian salinity crisis
←	North American prairie expands
	Subdivision of the Neogene according to the ICS, as of 2021.; Vertical axis: millions of years ago.;
Formerly part of	Tertiary Period/System
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	First regular occurrence of the Planktonic Foraminifer Globorotalia miotumida; FAD of the Haptophyte Amaurolithus delicatus;
Lower boundary GSSP	Oued Akrech section, Rabat, Morocco; 33.9369°N 6.8125°W
Lower GSSP ratified	January 2000
Upper boundary definition	Base of the Thvera magnetic event (C3n.4n), which is only 96 ka (5 precession cycles) younger than the GSSP
Upper boundary GSSP	Heraclea Minoa section, Heraclea Minoa, Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, Italy; 37.3917°N 13.2806°E
Upper GSSP ratified	2000

The Messinian is in the geologic timescale the last age or uppermost stage of the Miocene. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma and 5.333 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It follows the Tortonian and is followed by the Zanclean, the first age of the Pliocene.

The Messinian overlaps the Turolian European Land Mammal Mega Zone (more precisely MN 12 and 13) and the Pontian Central European Paratethys Stage. It also overlaps the late Huayquerian and early Montehermosan South American Land Mammal Ages, and falls inside the more extensive Hemphillian North American Land Mammal Age.

During the Messinian, around 6 million years ago, the Messinian salinity crisis took place, which brought about repeated desiccations of the Mediterranean Sea.

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