Third epoch of the Jurassic Period
| Late/Upper Jurassic |
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−200 — – −195 — – −190 — – −185 — – −180 — – −175 — – −170 — – −165 — – −160 — – −155 — – −150 — – −145 — – | | | Subdivision of the Jurassic according to the ICS, as of 2022.[1]Vertical axis scale: millions of years ago. |
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| Chronostratigraphic name | Upper Jurassic |
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| Geochronological name | Late Jurassic |
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| Name formality | Formal |
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| Celestial body | Earth |
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| Regional usage | Global (ICS) |
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| Time scale(s) used | ICS Time Scale |
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| Chronological unit | Epoch |
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| Stratigraphic unit | Series |
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| Time span formality | Formal |
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| Lower boundary definition | Not formally defined |
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| Lower boundary definition candidates | Horizon of the Ammonite Cardioceras redcliffense. |
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| Lower boundary GSSP candidate section(s) |
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| Upper boundary definition | Not formally defined |
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| Upper boundary definition candidates |
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| Upper boundary GSSP candidate section(s) | None |
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The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 163.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.[2]
In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age.[3] In the past, Malm was also used to indicate the unit of geological time, but this usage is now discouraged to make a clear distinction between lithostratigraphic and geochronologic/chronostratigraphic units.
Subdivisions
The Late Jurassic is divided into three ages, which correspond with the three (faunal) stages of Upper Jurassic rock:
Paleogeography
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adding to it. (May 2008)
During the Late Jurassic Epoch, Pangaea broke up into two supercontinents, Laurasia to the north, and Gondwana to the south. The result of this break-up was the spawning of the Atlantic Ocean. However, at this time, the Atlantic Ocean was relatively narrow.
