Bartonian

System	Series	Stage	Age (Ma)
Neogene	Miocene	Aquitanian	younger
Paleogene	Oligocene	Chattian	23.03–28.4
		Rupelian	28.4–33.9
	Eocene	Priabonian	33.9–37.2
		Bartonian	37.2–40.4
		Lutetian	40.4–48.6
		Ypresian	48.6–55.8
	Paleocene	Thanetian	55.8–58.7
		Selandian	58.7–61.7
		Danian	61.7–65.5
Cretaceous	Upper	Maastrichtian	older
Subdivision of the Paleogene Period according to the IUGS, as of July 2009.

The Bartonian is, in the ICS's geological timescale, a stage or age in the middle Eocene epoch or series. The Bartonian age spans the time between 40.4±0.2 and 37.2±0.2 Ma. It is preceded by the Lutetian and is followed by the Priabonian age.

Stratigraphic definition

The Bartonian stage was introduced by Swiss stratigrapher Karl Mayer-Eymar in 1857. The name derives from the coastal village Barton-on-Sea (part of New Milton) in southern England. The Barton Group, a lithostratigraphic unit from the south English Hampshire Basin, is of Bartonian age. The distinction between group and stage was made in the second part of the 20th century, when stratigraphers saw the need to distinguish between litho- and chronostratigraphy.

The base of the Bartonian is at the first appearance of the calcareous nannoplankton species Reticulofenestra reticulata. In 2009, an official reference profile (GSSP) for the base of the Bartonian had not yet been established.

The top of the Bartonian stage (the base of the Priabonian) is at the first appearance of calcareous nannoplankton species Chiasmolithus oamaruensis (which forms the base of nannoplankton biozone NP18).

The Bartonian stage overlaps part of the upper Robiacian European Land Mammal Mega Zone (it spans the Mammal Paleogene zone 16), the upper Uintan and Duchesnean North American Land Mammal Ages, part of the Divisaderan South American Land Mammal Age and is coeval with the Sharamururian Asian Land Mammal Age.

The Auversian regional stage of France is coeval with the Bartonian and is therefore no longer used.

References

Literature

• Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
• Mayer-Eymar, K.; 1857: Tableau synchronique des formations tertiaires d’Europe, 3rd ed., Zürich. (French)

External links

• GeoWhen Database – Bartonian
• 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