Palaeos:		Timescale
Paleozoic Era		Paleozoic Timescale

Page Back	Back: Neoproterozoic	Back: Proterozoic	Up: Phanerozoic	Unit Home
Page Next	Next: Mesozoic		Down: Cambrian	Timescale

The Paleozoic Era

The Geological Timescale

Phanerozoic
   Paleozoic
     Early Paleozoic
      Cambrian
      Ordovician
      Silurian
     Late Paleozoic
      Permian
      Devonian
      Carboniferous
      Permian

Paleozoic Era
Paleozoic Timescale
Newer Timescale by International Commission on Stratigraphy
Older (but widely copied) Timescale by Harland et al
Sources
Books
References

International Stratigraphic Chart

Period	Epoch	Age	end - began (Mya)
Permian P	Lopingian P3	Changhsingian (or Changxingian) p9	254 - 251
	Lopingian P3	Wuchiapingian p8	260 - 254
	Guadalupian P2	Capitanian p7	266 - 260
		Wordian p6	268 - 266
		Roadian p5	271 - 268
	Cisuralian P1	Kungurian p4	276 - 271
		Artinskian p3	284 - 276
		Sakmarian p2	295 - 284
		Asselian p1	299 - 295
Carboniferous C	Pennsylvanian C2	Gzhelian c7	304 - 299
		Kasimovian c6	307 - 304
		Moscovian c5	312 - 307
		Bashkirian c4	318 - 312
	Mississippian C1	Serpukhovian c3	327 - 318
		Viséan c2	345 - 326
		Tournaisian c1	359 - 345
Devonian D	Late Devonian D3	Famennian d7	375 - 359
	Late Devonian D3	Frasnian d6	385 - 375
	Middle Devonian D2	Givetian d5	392 - 385
	Middle Devonian D2	Eifelian d4	398 - 392
	Lower/early D1	Emsian d3	407 - 398
		Praghian d2	411 - 407
		Lochkovian d1	416 - 411
Silurian S	Pridoli S4	s8	419 - 416
	Ludlow S3	Ludfordian s7	421 - 419
	Ludlow S3	Gorstian s6	423 - 421
	Wenlock S2	Homerian s5	426 - 423
	Wenlock S2	Sheinwoodian s4	428 - 426
	Llandovery S1	Telychian s3	436 - 428
		Aeronian s2	439 - 436
		Rhuddanian s1	444 - 439
Ordovician O	Late Ordovician O3	Hirnantian	446 - 444
		Ordovician VI	456 - 446
		Sandbian	461 - 456
	Middle Ordovician O2	Darriwilian	468 - 461
	Middle Ordovician O2	Ordovician III	472 - 468
	Early Ordovician O1	Floian	479 - 472
	Early Ordovician O1	Tremadoc	488 - 479
Cambrian Є	Late Cambrian Є3	["Dolgellian"]	493 - 488
	Late Cambrian Є3	Paiban	501 - 493
	Middle Cambrian Є2	["Menevian"]	- 501
	Middle Cambrian Є2	["Amgan"]	513 -
	Early Cambrian Є1		520 - 545

Harland et al

Era	Sub-Era	Period	Epoch	Age	when began (mya)
Mesozoic	Triassic		Scythian	Griesbachian	245.0
Palaeozoic	Permian		Zechstein	Changxingian (Tatarian)	247.5
				Longtanian	250.0
				Capitanian	252.5
				Wordian	255.0
				Ufimian	256.1
			Rotliegendes	Kungurian	259.7
				Artinskian	268.8
				Sakmarian	281.5
				Asselian	290.0
	Carboniferous	Pennsylvanian	Gzhelian	Noginskian	293.6
			Gzhelian	Klazminskian	295.1
			Kasimovian	Dorogomilovskian	298.3
				Chamovnicheskian	299.9
				Krevyakinskian	303.0
			Moscovian	Myachkovskian	305.0
				Podolskian	307.1
				Kashirskian	309.2
				Vereiskian	311.3
			Bashkirian	Melekesskian	313.4
				Cheremshanskian	318.3
				Yeadonian	320.6
				Marsdenian	321.5
				Kinderscoutian	322.8
		Mississippian	Serpukhovian	Alportian	325.6
				Chokierian	328.3
				Arnsbergian	331.1
				Pendleian	332.9
			Viséan	Brigantian	336.0
				Asbian	339.4
				Holkerian	342.8
				Arundian	345.0
				Chadian	349.5
			Tournaisian	Ivorian	353.8
			Tournaisian	Hastarian	362.5
	Devonian		Upper	Famennian	367.0
			Upper	Frasnian	377.4
			Middle	Givetian	380.8
			Middle	Eifelian	386.0
			Lower	Emsian	390.4
				Pragian	396.3
				Lochkovian	408.5
	Silurian		Pridoli		410.7
			Ludlow	Ludfordian	415.1
			Ludlow	Gorstian	424.0
			Wenlock	Gleedonian	425.4
				Whitwellian	426.1
				Sheinwoodian	430.4
			Llandovery	Telychian	432.6
				Aeronian	436.9
				Rhuddanian	439.0
	Ordovician	Bala	Hirnantian	Hirnantian	439.5
				Rawtheyan	440.1
				Cautleyan	440.6
				Pusgillian	443.1
			Caradoc	Onnian	444.0
				Actonian	444.5
				Marshbrookian	447.1
				Longvillian	449.7
				Soudleyan	457.5
				Harnagian	462.3
				Costonian	463.9
		Dyfed	Llandeilo	Late	465.4
				Mid	467.0
				Early	468.6
Llanvirn			Late	472.7
Llanvirn			Early	476.1
Canadian		Arenig		493.0
Canadian		Tremadoc		510.0
Cambrian		Merioneth	Dolgellian	514.1
		Merioneth	Maentwrogian	517.2
		St David's	Menevian	530.2
		St David's	Solvan	536.0
		Caerfai	Lenian	553.7
			Atdabanian	560.0
			Tommotian	570.0
Precambrian	Sinian	Ediacaran	Ediacara	Poundian	580

Acknowledgments:

Harland et al table modified from Stephen E. Jones, The Geological Timescale

ISC html table by Oscar van Vlijmen, Geologische tijdperken (slightly modified)

Sources:

Harland W.B., et al., "A Geologic Time Scale 1989," Cambridge University Press: Cambridge UK, Revised Edition, 1990.

Allaby A. & Allaby M., eds, "A Dictionary of Earth Sciences," [1990], Oxford University Press: Oxford UK, Second Edition, 1999.

International Stratigraphic Chart, International Union of Geological Sciences: International Commission on Stratigraphy, 2001, published by Micropress

images not loading? | error messages? | broken links? | suggestions? | criticism?

page uploaded 28 April 2002
checked ATW030303, last modified MAK110412