Messinian

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A possible palaeogeographical reconstruction of the Miocene Mediterranean. North to the left. *Red = current coastline *S = Sorbas basin, Spain *R = Rifean corridor *B = Betic corridor *G = Strait of Gibraltar *M = Mediterranean sea

Messinian is the last European Land Mammal Age of the Miocene epoch. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma and 5.332 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It is named after the Messinian evaporite deposit, which in turn was named after Messina in Sicily.

The Messinian stage saw the start, at around 6 million years ago, of the Messinian salinity crisis, which brought about repeated desiccations of the Mediterranean Sea basin over the ensuing few million years.

It is roughly coeval with the European Mammal Neogene faunal stage 13 (MN 13) and the Pontian Central Paratethys stage, overlaps the late Huayquerian and early Montehermosan SALMA ages, and falls inside the more extensive Hemphillian NALMA age.

[edit] See also

• List of fossil sites (with link directory)

[edit] References

• GeoWhen Database - Messinian
• Messinian online - living in an evaporitic world - Mediterranean area

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