| System | Series | Stage | Age (Ma) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paleogene | Paleocene | Danian | younger | |
| Cretaceous | Upper | Maastrichtian | 65.5–70.6 | |
| Campanian | 70.6–83.5 | |||
| Santonian | 83.5–85.8 | |||
| Coniacian | 85.8–89.3 | |||
| Turonian | 89.3–93.5 | |||
| Cenomanian | 93.5–99.6 | |||
| Lower | Albian | 99.6–112.0 | ||
| Aptian | 112.0–125.0 | |||
| Barremian | 125.0–130.0 | |||
| Hauterivian | 130.0–136.4 | |||
| Valanginian | 136.4–140.2 | |||
| Berriasian | 140.2–145.5 | |||
| Jurassic | Upper | Tithonian | older | |
| Subdivision of the Cretaceous system according to the IUGS, as of July 2009. | ||||
The Early Cretaceous (geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 146 Ma to 100 Ma.
During this time many new types of dinosaurs appeared or came into prominence, including psittacosaurs, spinosaurs and coelurosaurs, while other survivors from the Late Jurassic continued.
In the seas, the ichthyosaurs declined and eventually died out at the start of the Late Cretaceous. Neognathous birds and angiosperms (flowering plants), appear for the first time.
See also
| Cretaceous period | |
|---|---|
| Lower/Early Cretaceous | Upper/Late Cretaceous |
| Berriasian | Valanginian | Hauterivian Barremian | Aptian | Albian |
Cenomanian | Turonian | Coniacian Santonian | Campanian | Maastrichtian |
 |
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