The Mammal Neogene zones or MN zones are system of biostratigraphic zones in the stratigraphic record used to correlate mammal-bearing fossil localities of the Neogene period of Europe. It consists of seventeen consecutive zones (numbered MN 1 through MN 18; MN 7 and 8 have been joined into MN 7/8 zone) defined through reference faunas, well-known sites that other localities can be correlated with. MN 1 is the earliest zone, and MN 18 is the most recent. The MN zones are complementary with the MP zones in the Paleogene.
The zones are as follows: Interval Reference Locality Start End ICS stagesInternational Commission on Stratigraphy (2021.) - INTERNATIONAL CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC CHART MN 18 2.0 Ma 0 Ma Gelasian to present MN 17 Saint-Vallier (France) 2.5 Ma 2.0 Ma Gelasian MN 16 Arondelli / Triversa (Italy) 3.2 Ma 2.5 Ma Gelasian - Piacenzian - Zanclean MN 15 Perpignan (France) 4.2 Ma 3.2 Ma Zanclean MN 14 Podlesice (Poland) 4.9 Ma 4.2 Ma Zanclean MN 13 El Arquilla (Spain) 7.0 Ma (between 6.8 and 7.2 Ma) 4.9 Ma Zanclean - Messinian MN 12 Los Mansuetos (Spain) 7.75 Ma (between 8.0 and 7.5 Ma) 7.0 Ma (between 6.8 and 7.2 Ma) Messinian - Tortonian MN 11 Crevillente 2 (Spain) 8.7 Ma 7.75 Ma (between 8.0 and 7.5 Ma) Tortonian MN 10 Masia del Barbo (Spain) 9.7 Ma 8.7 Ma Tortonian MN 9 Can Llobateres (Spain) 11.1 Ma 9.7 Ma Tortonian MN 7/8 La Grive M (France) 12.75 Ma (between 13.0 and 12.5 Ma) 11.1 Ma Tortonian - Serravallian MN 6 Sansan (France) 13.7 Ma 12.75 Ma (between 13.0 and 12.5 Ma) Serravallian MN 5 Faluns Pont Levoy- Thenay (France) 16.0 Ma 13.7 Ma Serravallian - Langhian - Burdigalian MN 4 La Romieu (France) 16.9 Ma (between 16.6 and 17.2 Ma) 16.0 Ma Burdigalian MN 3 Wintershof-West (Germany) 20.0 Ma 16.9 Ma (between 16.6 and 17.2 Ma) Burdigalian MN 2 Montaigu (France) Laugnac (France) 22.4 Ma 20.0 Ma Burdigalian - Aquitanian MN 1 Paulhiac (France) 23.03 ± 0.05 MaNorbert 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. 22.4 Ma Aquitanian
See also Mammal Paleogene zones European land mammal age Geologic time scale
References Bruijn, H. de, Daams, R., Daxner-Höck, G., Fahlbusch, V., Ginsburg, L., Mein, P. and Morales, J. (1992.) "Report of the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals", Reisensburg 1990. Newsletters on Stratigraphy 26(2–3):65–118. Dam, J. A. van, Alcalá, L., Alonso Zarza, A., Calvo, J. P., Garcés, M. and Krijgsman, W. (2001.) "The Upper Miocene mammal record from the Teruel–Alfambra region (Spain). The MN system and continental stage/age concepts discussed." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21(2):367–385. .