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The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 100.5 ± 0.9 Ma (million years ago). The Albian is preceded by the Aptian and followed by the Cenomanian.^[2]

Stratigraphic definitions

The Albian stage was first proposed in 1842 by Alcide d'Orbigny. It was named after Alba, the latin name for River Aube in France,

A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), ratified by the IUGS in 2016, defines the base of the Albian as the first occurrence of the planktonic foraminiferan Microhedbergella renilaevis at the Col de Pré-Guittard section, Arnayon, Drôme, France.^[3]

The top of the Albian stage (the base of the Cenomanian stage and Upper Cretaceous series) is defined as the place where the foram species Rotalipora globotruncanoides first appears in the stratigraphic column.^[4]

The Albian is sometimes subdivided in Early/Lower, Middle and Late/Upper subages or substages. In western Europe, especially in the UK, a subdivision in two substages (Vraconian and Gaultian) is more often used.

Lithofacies

The following representatives of the Albian stage are worthy of notice: the phosphorite beds of the Argonne and Bray areas in France; the Flammenmergel of northern Germany; the lignites of Utrillas in Spain; the Upper sandstones of Nubia, and the Fredericksburg beds of North America.^[5]

Paleontology

†Ankylosaurs

Ankylosaurs of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Acanthopholis				Acanthopholis Animantarx Pawpawsaurus Sauropelta
Animantarx
Anoplosaurus
Cedarpelta		Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA
Gobisaurus	Aptian to ?Albian	Ulansuhai Formation, Inner Mongolia, China
Pawpawsaurus
Sauropelta	Aptian to Albian	Cloverly Formation, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, USA	A medium-sized nodosaurid, measuring about 5 meters (16.5 ft) long, Sauropelta had a distinctively long tail which made up about half of its body length. Its neck and back were protected by an extensive bony body armor including characteristically large spines
Shamosaurus		Mongolia
Silvisaurus		Dakota Formation, Kansas, USA	A nodosaurid estimated to have been approximately four meters in length (13 ft). Besides the usual rounded and polygonal osteoderms, Silvisaurus may have also sported bony spines on its shoulders and tail
Stegopelta	Late Albian to early Cenomanian	Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA	A poorly known genus of nodosaurid
Texasetes		Paw Paw Formation, Texas, USA	Poorly known, probably a nodosaurid

Birds (avian theropods)

Birds of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Gansus				Jeholornis
Jeholornis

Bony fish

Bony fish of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Thrissops				Thrissops Xiphactinus
Xiphactinus		Alabama, Georgia and Kansas, USA; Czech Republic; Canada; Australia

Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fish of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Cretoxyrhina mantelli		Western Interior Seaway, North America		Cretoxyrhina mantelli Ischyodus Scapanorhynchus
Ischyodus		Europe, Russia, North America and New Zealand
Scapanorhynchus

†Ceratopsia

Ceratopsia of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Yamaceratops		Gobi Desert, Mongolia	Had an intermediate phylogenetic position between Liaoceratops and Archaeoceratops within Neoceratopia	Yamaceratops

Crocodylomorphs

Crocodylomorphs of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Sarcosuchus		Africa		Sarcosuchus

†Ichthyosaurs

Ichthyosaurs of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Platypterigius				Platypterigius

Mammalia

Mammals of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Eobaatar	several species from Hauterivian to Albian	Spain, Mongolia		Steropodon
Kollikodon		Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia
Steropodon		Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia

†Ornithopods

Ornithopods of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Altirhinus		Khukhtek Formation, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia	An advanced iguanodontian, just basal to the family Hadrosauridae	Altirhinus Eolambia Leaellynasaura Muttaburrasaurus Nanyangosaurus Probactrosaurus Qantassaurus Tenontosaurus Theiophytalia
Atlascopcosaurus	Aptian/Albian	Dinosaur Cove, Victoria, Australia	2–3 meters long hypsilophodont
Eolambia	Albian-Cenomanian	Utah, USA	An iguanodont
Leaellynasaura
Muttaburrasaurus
Nanyangosaurus		China
Penelopognathus		Mongolia
Probactrosaurus		China	An early hadrosauroid iguanodont, about 17 – 20 feet (5 – 6 metres) in length. It had a narrow snout, an elongated lower jaw and double rows of flattened cheek teeth. It was a possible ancestor of the duck-billed dinosaurs.
Qantassaurus
Siluosaurus	Barremian to Albian
Tenontosaurus
Theiophytalia	Aptian to Albian	Purgatoire Formation, Colorado, USA	An iguanodont described as intermediate in derivation between Camptosaurus and Iguanodon
Zephyrosaurus	Aptian to Albian	Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA	Hypsilophodont

†Plesiosaurs

†Plesiosauria of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
†Kronosaurus †Kronosaurus queenslandicus	Aptian to Albian	Hughenden district, Queensland, Australia	Among the largest pliosaurs, body-length estimates put the total length of Kronosaurus at 9–10 meters	Kronosaurus

†Pterosauria

Pterosaurs of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Amblydectes	Berriasian-Albian	Cambridge Greensand, United Kingdom		Coloborhynchus Pterodaustro Thalassodromeus Tupuxuara Zhejiangopterus
Aussiedraco		Toolebuc Formation, Queensland, Australia
Coloborhynchus		Morocco; Santana Formation, Brazil; Paw Paw Formation, Texas, USA
Lonchodraco	Albian-Turonian	Chalk Formation and Cambridge Greensand, England
Lonchognathosaurus		Lianmuxin Formation, Xinjiang, China
Mythunga		Toolebuc Formation, Queensland, Australia
Ornithostoma		Cambridge Greensand, England
Pterodaustro	Valanginian to Albian	Lagarcito Formation, Argentina
Santanadactylus	Aptian or Albian	Santana Formation, Brazil
Thalassodromeus	Aptian to early Albian	Santan do Cariri, Brazil; St Gallen, Switzerland
Tupuxuara	Albian or Cenomanian	Santana Formation, Brazil
Zhejiangopterus	?	Zhejiang, China

†Sauropods

Sauropods of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Abydosaurus	Mid to Late Albian	Utah, USA		Astrodon Brontomerus Sauroposeidon
Aegyptosaurus		Egypt	The only known bones of this sauropod were destroyed in World War II.
Amazonsaurus	Early Cretaceous	Brazil
Astrodon		Swampoodle, Arundel Formation, Prince George's County, Maryland; Antlers Formation, Oklahoma
"Brachiosaurus" nougaredi		Algeria	The bones referred to "B." nougaredi probably belong to more than one different species.
Brontomerus	Atian-Albian	Utah
Chubutisaurus		South America
Rugocaudia	Aptian or Albian	Montana
Sauroposeidon	Aptian-early Albian	Oklahoma	This sauropod weighed up to 60 tonnes, making it one of the largest known dinosaurs.
Tataouinea	early Albian	Tunisia	Tataouinea had highly pneumatic pelvic bones, suggesting that sauropods had abdominal air sacs.
Venenosaurus	Aptian-Albian	Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah
Wintonotitan		Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia

†Theropods (non-avian)

Theropods of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Acrocanthosaurus		North America		Acrocanthosaurus Alxasaurus Deinonychus Fukuiraptor Spinosaurus Suchomimus Utahraptor
Alxasaurus		Asia
Carcharodontosaurus		Northern Africa
Cristatusaurus		Niger
Deinonychus		North America
Erectopus		France
Fukuiraptor		Japan
Genusaurus		France
Irritator		South America
Sinornithoides
Spinosaurus		Africa
Suchomimus		Africa
Timimus		Australia
Utahraptor [6]		North America	The largest known dromaeosaurid

†Ammonites

†Ammonitida

• Moffitites

Originating in Lower Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in lower Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Puzosia

• Aioloceras


• Anacleoniceras


• Anadesmoceras


• Anisoceras


• Arcthoplites


• Brancoceras


• Brewericeras


• Cleoniceras


• Cymahoplites


• Douvilleiceras


• Epileymeriella


• Eubranoceras


• Farnhamia


• Hoplites


• Kossmatella


• Labeceras


• Leconteites


• Lemuroceras


• Leymeriella


• Lyelliceras


• Neobibolites


• Otohoplites


• Oxytropidoceras


• Paracanthoplites


• Parasilesites


• Parengonoceras


• Plictetia


• Prohelicoceras


• Proleymeriella


• Prolyelliceras


• Protohoplites


• Pseudoleymeriella


• Pseudosonneratia


• Puzosia


• Puzosigella


• Rhytidohoplites


• Rossalites


• Silesitoides


• Sokolovites


• Sonneratia


• Tegoceras


• Tetrahoplites


• Tetrahoplitoides


• Zealandites

Originating in Middle Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in middle Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Mortoniceras from South Africa

• Anagaudryceras


• Anahoplites


• Astiericeras


• Dimorphoplites


• Dipoloceras


• Dipoloceroides


• Engonoceras


• Epihoplites


• Euhoplites


• Falciferella


• Falloticeras


• Gastroplites


• Hamitoides


• Hysteroceras


• Isohoplites


• Manuaniceras


• Mojsisoviczia


• Mortoniceras


• Ostlingoceras


• Protengonoceras


• Proturrilitoides


• Pseudhelicoceras


• Scaphamites


• Subarcthoplites


• Sulcohoplites


• Turrilitoides


• Venezoliceras


• Zuluscaphites

Originating in Upper Albian strata

The following is a list of Ammonite genera whose fossils are geochronologically found first in upper Albian strata. These genera may survive into later portions of the Albian stage, or even into later geological stages. This list should not be thought of in terms of the lifespan of the genera included.

Scaphites

• Adkinsites


• Arestoceras


• Beudantiella


• Bhimaites


• Borissiakoceras


• Cainoceras


• Callihoplites


• Cantabrigites


• Cenisella


• Cottreauites


• Cyrtochilus


• Deiradoceras


• Diplasioceras


• Discohoplites


• Ellipsoceras


• Elobiceras


• Eogunnarites


• Eopachydiscus


• Eoscaphites


• Erioliceras


• Ficheuria


• Flickia


• Gaudryceras


• Gazdaganites


• Goodhallites


• Hemiptychoceras


• Hengestites


• Hypengonoceras


• Hyphoplites


• Idiohamites


• Karamaiceras


• Karamaites


• Koloceras


• Lechites


• Lepthoplites


• Lytodiscoides


• Mantelliceras


• Mariella


• Metengonoceras


• Myloceras


• Neogastroplites


• Neoharpoceras


• Neokentoceras


• Neophlycticeras


• Pachydesmoceras


• Paradolphia


• Paraturrilites


• Pervinquieria


• Plesiohamites


• Plesioturrilites


• Pleurohoplites


• Prohysteroceras


• Psilohamites


• Rusoceras


• Salaziceras


• Saltericeras


• Scaphites


• Schloenbachia


• Sciponoceras


• Semenovites


• Spathiceras


• Stoliczkaia


• Stomohamites


• Worthoceras

†Belemnites

Belemnites of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Belospirula				Belemnites
Dimitobelus

Nautiloids

Nautiloids of the Albian
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Deltoidonautilus				An illustration of a variety of fossil nautiloids.

†Phylloceratida

• Carinophylloceras

References

Notes

Literature

• 
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  Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.


• 
  
  Kennedy, W.J.; Gale, A.S.; Lees, J.A. & Caron, M.; 2004: The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Cenomanian Stage, Mont Risou, Hautes-Alpes, France, Episodes 27, pp. 21–32.


• 
  
  d'Orbigny, A.C.V.M.; 1842: Paléontologie française: Terrains crétacés, vol. ii. (in French)
  

External links

• GeoWhen Database - Albian


• 
  Mid-Cretaceous timescale, at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS (The top of the Albian stage is also still visible on their Late Cretaceous timescale)


• 
  Stratigraphic chart of the Lower Cretaceous, at the website of Norges Network of offshore records of geology and stratigraphy


• Albian Stage, Cretaceous Period in Hampshire