Albian

The Albian is an important part of Earth's history, used by scientists to describe a specific time long ago. It is both a stage in the geologic timescale and a part of the stratigraphic column. This time period is the last and topmost part of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch/Series.

The Albian happened between about 113.2 million to 100.5 million years ago. It came after the Aptian and was followed by the Cenomanian. Studying the Albian helps scientists understand what the world was like during the age of the dinosaurs and how life on Earth has changed over millions of years.

Stratigraphic definitions

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

A special marker was set in 2016 to show when the Albian began, based on a tiny shell-like creature found in a specific spot in Arnayon, Drôme, France. The end of the Albian is marked by the appearance of another tiny shell-like creature in the rock layers. Sometimes, the Albian is split into smaller parts, especially in western Europe and the United Kingdom.

Examples

The Albian period has left behind interesting rocks that we can find in many places. For example, in France there are special rock layers called phosphorite beds in areas like the Argonne and Bray. In northern Germany, we can see rocks known as Flammenmergel. In Spain, there are lignites in a place called Utrillas. In North America, we find the Upper Nubian Sandstones and the Fredericksburg beds. These rocks help scientists understand what Earth was like millions of years ago.

Climate

During the time of the Albian, the area that is now the Liupanshan Basin in China became warmer and drier. This change in weather affected the plants and animals living there long ago.

Main article: Aptian-Albian Cold Snap