Maastrichtian

The '''Maastrichtian''' ({{IPAc-en|pron|m|ɑː|ˈ|s|t|r|ɪ|k|t|i|ə|n}} {{respell|mahss|TRIK|tee|ən}}) is, in the [[International Commission on Stratigraphy]] (ICS) [[geologic timescale]], the latest [[age (geology)|age]] (uppermost [[stage (stratigraphy)|stage]]) of the [[Late Cretaceous]] [[epoch (geology)|Epoch]] or [[Upper Cretaceous]] [[series (stratigraphy)|Series]], the [[Cretaceous]] [[geologic period|Period]] or [[system (stratigraphy)|System]], and of the [[Mesozoic]] [[geologic era|Era]] or [[Erathem]]. It spanned the interval from {{ma|Maastrichtian|Danian|million years ago}}. The Maastrichtian was preceded by the [[Campanian]] and succeeded by the [[Danian]] (part of the [[Paleogene]] and [[Paleocene]]).<ref name=OggEtal2004>{{cite book |last1=Ogg |first1=James G. |last2=Gradstein |first2= Felix M. |last3=Smith |first3=A.G. |title=A geologic time scale 2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=2004 |isbn=0-521-78142-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rse4v1P-f9kC |access-date=8 May 2022}}</ref> It is named after the city of [[Maastricht]], the capital and largest city of the [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]] province in the [[Netherlands]].

The '''Maastrichtian''' ({{IPAc-en|pron|m|ɑː|ˈ|s|t|r|ɪ|k|t|i|ə|n}} {{respell|mahss|TRIK|tee|ən}}) is, in the [[International Commission on Stratigraphy]] (ICS) [[geologic timescale]], the latest [[age (geology)|age]] (uppermost [[stage (stratigraphy)|stage]]) of the [[Late Cretaceous]] [[epoch (geology)|Epoch]] or [[Upper Cretaceous]] [[series (stratigraphy)|Series]], the [[Cretaceous]] [[geologic period|Period]] or [[system (stratigraphy)|System]], and of the [[Mesozoic]] [[geologic era|Era]] or [[Erathem]]. It spanned the interval from {{ma|Maastrichtian|Danian|million years ago}}. The Maastrichtian was preceded by the [[Campanian]] and succeeded by the [[Danian]] (part of the [[Paleogene]] and [[Paleocene]]).<ref name=OggEtal2004>{{cite book |last1=Ogg |first1=James G. |last2=Gradstein |first2= Felix M. |last3=Smith |first3=A.G. |title=A geologic time scale 2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=2004 |isbn=0-521-78142-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rse4v1P-f9kC |access-date=8 May 2022}}</ref> It is named after the city of [[Maastricht]], the capital and largest city of the [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]] province in the [[Netherlands]].

The [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]] (formerly known as the Cretaceous–[[Tertiary period|Tertiary]] extinction event){{efn|This designation has as a part of it a term, '[[Tertiary period|Tertiary]]', that is now discouraged as a formal geochronological unit by the [[International Commission on Stratigraphy]].}} occurred at the end of this age.<ref name=OggEtal2004/> In this [[extinction event|mass extinction]], many commonly recognized groups such as non-avian [[dinosaur]]s, [[plesiosaur]]s and [[mosasaur]]s, as well as many other lesser-known groups, died out. The cause of the extinction is most commonly linked to [[Chicxulub impactor|an asteroid]] about {{convert|10|to|15|km|mi}} wide<ref name="AGU-20140409">{{cite web |last1=Sleep |first1=Norman H. |last2=Lowe |first2=Donald R. |title=Scientists reconstruct ancient impact that dwarfs dinosaur-extinction blast |url=https://news.agu.org/press-release/scientists-reconstruct-ancient-impact-that-dwarfs-dinosaur-extinction-blast/ |date=9 April 2014 |publisher=[[American Geophysical Union]] |access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39922998 |title=Dinosaur asteroid hit 'worst possible place' |last=Amos |first=Jonathan |date=15 May 2017 |website=[[BBC News Online]] |access-date=16 March 2018}}</ref> colliding with Earth, ending the Cretaceous.

The [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]] (formerly known as the Cretaceous–[[Tertiary period|Tertiary]] extinction event){{efn|This designation has as a part of it a term, '[[Tertiary period|Tertiary]]', that is now discouraged as a formal geochronological unit by the [[International Commission on Stratigraphy]].}} occurred at the end of this age.<ref name=OggEtal2004/> In this [[extinction event|mass extinction]], many commonly recognized groups such as non-avian [[dinosaur]]s, [[pterosaur]]s, [[plesiosaur]]s and [[mosasaur]]s, as well as many other lesser-known groups, died out. The cause of the extinction is most commonly linked to [[Chicxulub impactor|an asteroid]] about {{convert|10|to|15|km|mi}} wide<ref name="AGU-20140409">{{cite web |last1=Sleep |first1=Norman H. |last2=Lowe |first2=Donald R. |title=Scientists reconstruct ancient impact that dwarfs dinosaur-extinction blast |url=https://news.agu.org/press-release/scientists-reconstruct-ancient-impact-that-dwarfs-dinosaur-extinction-blast/ |date=9 April 2014 |publisher=[[American Geophysical Union]] |access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39922998 |title=Dinosaur asteroid hit 'worst possible place' |last=Amos |first=Jonathan |date=15 May 2017 |website=[[BBC News Online]] |access-date=16 March 2018}}</ref> colliding with Earth, ending the Cretaceous.

==Stratigraphic definitions==

==Stratigraphic definitions==