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.

[edit] See also

• Geologic Period
• Late Cretaceous

Cretaceous period
Lower/Early Cretaceous	Upper/Late Cretaceous
Berriasian | Valanginian | Hauterivian Barremian | Aptian | Albian	Cenomanian | Turonian | Coniacian Santonian | Campanian | Maastrichtian

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