Albian

The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 100.5 ± 0.9 Ma (million years ago). The Albian is preceded by the Aptian and followed by the Cenomanian.[3]

Albian
~113.0 – 100.5 Ma
Chronology
Key events in the Cretaceous
-140 —
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-130 —
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-120 —
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-110 —
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-100 —
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-90 —
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-80 —
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-70 —
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An approximate timescale of key Cretaceous events.
Axis scale: millions of years ago.
Etymology
Name formalityFormal
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth
Regional usageGlobal (ICS)
Time scale(s) usedICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unitAge
Stratigraphic unitStage
Time span formalityFormal
Lower boundary definitionFAD of the Planktonic Foraminifer Microhedbergella renilaevis
Lower boundary GSSPCol de Pré-Guittard section, Arnayon, Drôme, France
44.4964°N 5.3114°E / 44.4964; 5.3114
GSSP ratifiedApril 2016[1]
Upper boundary definitionFAD of the Planktonic Foraminifer Rotalipora globotruncanoides
Upper boundary GSSPMont Risoux, Hautes-Alpes, France
44.3925°N 5.5119°E / 44.3925; 5.5119
GSSP ratified2002[2]

Stratigraphic definitions

The Albian stage was first proposed in 1842 by Alcide d'Orbigny. It was named after Alba, the Latin name for River Aube in France.

A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), ratified by the IUGS in 2016, defines the base of the Albian as the first occurrence of the planktonic foraminiferan Microhedbergella renilaevis at the Col de Pré-Guittard section, Arnayon, Drôme, France.[4]

The top of the Albian stage (the base of the Cenomanian stage and Upper Cretaceous series) is defined as the place where the foram species Rotalipora globotruncanoides first appears in the stratigraphic column.[5]

The Albian is sometimes subdivided in Early/Lower, Middle and Late/Upper subages or substages. In western Europe, especially in the UK, a subdivision in two substages (Vraconian and Gaultian) is more often used.

Lithofacies

The following representatives of the Albian stage are worthy of notice: the phosphorite beds of the Argonne and Bray areas in France; the Flammenmergel of northern Germany; the lignites of Utrillas in Spain; the Upper sandstones of Nubia, and the Fredericksburg beds of North America.[6]

Paleontology

†Ankylosaurs
Ankylosaurs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Acanthopholis
Animantarx
Pawpawsaurus
Sauropelta
Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA
Aptian to ?Albian Ulansuhai Formation, Inner Mongolia, China
Aptian to Albian Cloverly Formation, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, USA A medium-sized nodosaurid, measuring about 5 meters (16.5 ft) long, Sauropelta had a distinctively long tail which made up about half of its body length. Its neck and back were protected by an extensive bony body armor including characteristically large spines
Mongolia
Dakota Formation, Kansas, USA A nodosaurid estimated to have been approximately four meters in length (13 ft). Besides the usual rounded and polygonal osteoderms, Silvisaurus may have also sported bony spines on its shoulders and tail
Late Albian to early Cenomanian Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA A poorly known genus of nodosaurid
Paw Paw Formation, Texas, USA Poorly known, probably a nodosaurid

Birds (avian theropods)
Birds of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Jeholornis

Bony fish
Bony fish of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Araripe Basin, Brazil An ichthyodectid osteoglossomorph.
Mawsonia
Thrissops
Xiphactinus
Albian-Cenomanian North Africa An extinct genus of coelacanth, and the largest of this group, ranging from an estimated 3.5 metres up to 6.3 metres long.
England; Germany An ichthyodectid osteoglossomorph.
Alabama, Georgia and Kansas, USA; Czech Republic; Canada; Australia A large ichthyodectid osteoglossomorph.

Cartilaginous fish
Cartilaginous fish of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Western Interior Seaway, North America
Cretoxyrhina mantelli
Ischyodus
Scapanorhynchus
Europe, Russia, North America and New Zealand
An extinct relative of the modern goblin shark.

†Ceratopsia
Ceratopsia of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Gobi Desert, Mongolia Had an intermediate phylogenetic position between Liaoceratops and Archaeoceratops within Neoceratopia
Yamaceratops

Crocodylomorphs
Crocodylomorphs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Late Aptian to Early Albian Tegama Group, Niger A small notosuchian under 1 metre (3.3 ft) long with a duck-like snout.
Anatosuchus
Araripesuchus wegeneri
Isisfordia
Pakasuchus
Sarcosuchus
  1. Araripesuchus gomesiis
  2. Araripesuchus wegeneri
 125–66 Ma
  • Araripesuchus wegeneri: Niger; Tunisia
 A long-lived, widespread, and diverse genus of basal notosuchians that appeared early in the Cretaceous and lasted until the end of it. Multiple species are from this genus, three of them having lived during the Cenomanian, and have been found from both South America and Africa.
Itapecuru Formation, Brazil A notosuchian.
Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia A genus of eusuchian crocodyliform closely related to crocodilians.
lower Albian Texas A genus of mesoeucrocodylian. Pachycheilosuchus is notable for its procoelous vertebrae, otherwise found only in derived eusuchian crocodilians
lower Albian Pietraroia, Apennines, Italy A hylaeochampsid eusuchian.
Tanzania A notosuchian with very complex, mammal-like heterodont teeth.
Africa A tethysuchian neosuchian. One of the largest crocodylomoprhs to ever live.

†Ichthyosaurs
Ichthyosaurs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Platypterigius

Mammalia
Mammals of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
several species from Hauterivian to Albian Spain, Mongolia
Steropodon
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia

†Ornithopods
Ornithopods of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Khukhtek Formation, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia An advanced iguanodontian, just basal to the family Hadrosauridae
Altirhinus
Eolambia
Leaellynasaura
Muttaburrasaurus
Nanyangosaurus
Probactrosaurus
Qantassaurus
Tenontosaurus
Theiophytalia
Aptian/Albian Dinosaur Cove, Victoria, Australia 2–3 meters long hypsilophodont
Albian-Cenomanian Utah, USA An iguanodont
China
Mongolia
China An early hadrosauroid iguanodont, about 17 – 20 feet (5 – 6 metres) in length. It had a narrow snout, an elongated lower jaw and double rows of flattened cheek teeth. It was a possible ancestor of the duck-billed dinosaurs.
Barremian to Albian
Aptian to Albian Purgatoire Formation, Colorado, USA An iguanodont described as intermediate in derivation between Camptosaurus and Iguanodon
Aptian to Albian Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA Hypsilophodont

†Plesiosaurs
†Plesiosauria of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Aptian to Albian Hughenden district, Queensland, Australia Among the largest pliosaurs, body-length estimates put the total length of Kronosaurus at 9–10 meters
Kronosaurus
Aptian to Albian China Possibly a pliosauroid.

†Pterosauria
Pterosaurs of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Berriasian-Albian Cambridge Greensand, United Kingdom
Coloborhynchus
Pterodaustro
Thalassodromeus
Tupuxuara
Zhejiangopterus
Toolebuc Formation, Queensland, Australia
Morocco; Santana Formation, Brazil; Paw Paw Formation, Texas, USA
Albian-Turonian Chalk Formation and Cambridge Greensand, England
Lianmuxin Formation, Xinjiang, China
Toolebuc Formation, Queensland, Australia
Cambridge Greensand, England
Valanginian to Albian Lagarcito Formation, Argentina
Aptian or Albian Santana Formation, Brazil
Aptian to early Albian Santan do Cariri, Brazil; St Gallen, Switzerland
Albian or Cenomanian Santana Formation, Brazil
? Zhejiang, China

†Sauropods
Sauropods of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Mid to Late Albian Utah, USA
Astrodon
Brontomerus
Sauroposeidon
Egypt The only known bones of this sauropod were destroyed in World War II.
Early Cretaceous Brazil
Swampoodle, Arundel Formation, Prince George's County, Maryland; Antlers Formation, Oklahoma
Algeria The bones referred to "B." nougaredi probably belong to more than one different species.
Atian-Albian Utah
South America
Aptian or Albian Montana
Aptian-early Albian Oklahoma This sauropod weighed up to 60 tonnes, making it one of the largest known dinosaurs.
early Albian Tunisia Tataouinea had highly pneumatic pelvic bones, suggesting that sauropods had abdominal air sacs.
Aptian-Albian Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah
Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia

†Theropods (non-avian)
Theropods of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
North America A gigantic allosauroid, possibly a basal carcharodontosaurid.
Acrocanthosaurus
Alxasaurus
Deinonychus
Fukuiraptor
Spinosaurus
Suchomimus
Utahraptor
Asia A therizinosaur.
Niger A large spinosaur, closely related to Baryonyx.
North America A medium to large sized dromeosaurid.
France A basal allosauroid estimated to be about 5 meters long.
Japan A medium-sized megaraptoran.
France A small abelisaurid ceratosaur.
South America A spinosaur.
A troodontid.
Africa A gigantic derived spinosaur, one of the largest theropods to ever live and possibly the longest.
Africa A large spinosaur, possibly a synonym of Cristatusaurus.
Australia A genus of small coelurosaur. It was originally identified as an ornithomimosaur, but now it is thought to be a different kind of theropod, possibly a tyrannosauroid.
North America The largest known dromaeosaurid.

†Ammonitida
  • Moffitites
Originating in Lower Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in lower Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Puzosia
Originating in Middle Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in middle Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Mortoniceras from South Africa
Originating in Upper Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in upper Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Scaphites

†Belemnites
Belemnites of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
Belemnites

Nautiloids
Nautiloids of the Albian
Taxa Presence Location Description Images
  • Deltoidonautilus
An illustration of a variety of fossil nautiloids.

†Phylloceratida
  • Carinophylloceras

References

Notes
  1. Kennedy, J.W.; Gale, A.S.; Huber, B.T.; Petrizzo, M.R.; Bown, P.; Jenkyns, H.C. (2017). "The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Albian Stage, of the Cretaceous, the Col de Pré-Guittard section, Arnayon, Drôme, France" (PDF). Episodes. 40 (3): 177–188. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2017/v40i3/017021.
  2. Kennedy, W.; Gale, A.; Lees, J.; Caron, M. (March 2004). "The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Cenomanian Stage, Mont Risou, Hautes-Alpes, France" (PDF). Episodes. 27: 21–32. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. For a detailed geologic timescale, see Gradstein et al. (2004)
  4. Kennedy, J.W.; Gale, A.S.; Huber, B.T.; Petrizzo, M.R.; Bown, P.; Jenkyns, H.C. (2017). "The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Albian Stage, of the Cretaceous, the Col de Pré-Guittard section, Arnayon, Drôme, France" (PDF). Episodes. 40 (3): 177–188. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2017/v40i3/017021.
  5. See Kennedy et al. (2004) for a description of the GSSP for the Cenomanian
  6.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Howe, John Allen (1911). "Albian". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 505.
  7. Mortimer, Mickey. "List of Dromaeosaurids". Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.

Literature
  • Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
  • Kennedy, W.J.; Gale, A.S.; Lees, J.A. & Caron, M.; 2004: The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Cenomanian Stage, Mont Risou, Hautes-Alpes, France, Episodes 27, pp. 21–32.
  • d'Orbigny, A.C.V.M.; 1842: Paléontologie française: Terrains crétacés, vol. ii. (in French)
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