The Cenomanian Stage

This review briefly outlines the historical background to the subdivision of the Chalk and the Upper Cretaceous in the Anglo-Paris Basin and contiguous areas, leading up to the introduction of the étage cénomanien in 1848, and the subsequent attempts to develop a zonal subdivision of the stage. The use of stable carbon isotopes, cyclo-and sequence stratigraphy in the subdivision and intercontinental correlation of the stage are outlined. The development of internationally agreed Global boundary Stratotype Sections and Points for the base of the Cenomanian and Turonian Stages (GSSP) is described. Biostratigraphic, isotopic, cyclo- and sequence stratigraphic subdivisions of the stage are integrated into a refined framework for the study of Earth history during this six million-year interval. © 2006 Geologists' Association