The Mammal Paleogene zones or MP zones are a system of biostratigraphic biozones in the stratigraphic record used to correlate mammal-bearing fossil localities of the Paleogene period of Europe. It consists of thirty consecutive zones (numbered MP 1 through MP 30; MN 8 and 9 have been joined into MN 8 + 9 zone; and MP 17 zone is split into two zones – MP 17A and MP 17B zone) defined through reference faunas, well-known sites that other localities can be correlated with. MP 1 is the earliest zone, and MP 30 is the most recent. The Grande Coupure extinction and faunal turnover event marks the boundary between MP 20 and MP 21, the post-Grande Coupure faunas occurring by MP 21 onward. The MP zones are complementary with the MN zones in the Neogene.
These zones were proposed at the Congress in Mainz held in 1987 to help paleontologists provide more specific reference points to evolutionary events in Europe, but are used by paleontologists on other continents as well.Norbert Schmidt-Kittler (ed.) "International symposium on mammalian biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the European Paleogene, Mainz, February 18th – 21st 1987." Münchner geowiss. Abh., 10, 1–311.
The zones are as follows: Interval Start End ICS stagesInternational Commission on Stratigraphy (2021.) – INTERNATIONAL CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC CHART MP 30 23.2 Ma 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma Chattian MP 29 23.9 Ma 23.2 Ma Chattian MP 28 24.6 ± 0.1 Ma 23.9 Ma Chattian MP 27 25.4 Ma 24.6 ± 0.1 Ma Chattian MP 26 27.3 Ma 25.4 Ma Chattian MP 25 28.8 Ma 27.3 Ma Chattian – Rupelian MP 24 30.0 Ma 28.8 Ma Rupelian MP 23 30.9 ± 0.1 Ma 30.0 Ma Rupelian MP 22 32.5 Ma 30.9 ± 0.1 Ma Rupelian MP 21 33.9 ± 0.05 Ma 32.5 Ma Rupelian MP 20 34.0 Ma 33.9 ± 0.05 Ma Priabonian MP 19 35.0 Ma 34.0 Ma Priabonian MP 18 37.0 Ma 35.0 Ma Priabonian MP 17B 37.5 Ma 37.0 Ma Priabonian MP 17A 37.8 Ma 37.5 Ma Priabonian MP 16 40.0 Ma 37.8 Ma Bartonian MP 15 41.2 Ma 40.0 Ma Lutetian MP 14 43.5 Ma 41.2 Ma Lutetian MP 13 44.9 Ma 43.5 Ma Lutetian MP 12 46.3 Ma 44.9 Ma Lutetian MP 11 47.8 Ma 46.3 Ma Lutetian MP 10 50.8 Ma 47.8 Ma Ypresian MP 8 + 9 55.2 Ma 50.8 Ma Ypresian MP 7 56.0 Ma 55.2 Ma Ypresian MP 6 57.2 Ma 56.0 Ma Thanetian MP 5 57.2 Ma Thanetian MP 4 Paleocene series MP 3 Paleocene series MP 2 Paleocene series MP 1 66.043 ± 0.011 Ma 61.7 ± 0.05 Ma Danian
See also Mammal Neogene zones European land mammal age Geologic time scale
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