Ypresian

The Ypresium ( in German language, usually shortened to Ypres ) is in Earth's history, the lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene ( Paleogene ). The step extends in absolute terms ( geochronological ) from about 56 to about 47.8 million years. The Ypresium following the Thanetium ( Paleocene ) and is detached from the lutetium.

At the transition from Thanetium to Ypresium was the Paleocene / Eocene Thermal Maximum.

Naming and history

The stage was named after the town of Ypres (Dutch: Ieper, French: Ypres ) named in Belgium, near which the original type locality is located. The first description was by André Dumont in 1850. Today's stage has but with the designated originally by Dumont section of the earth's little in common, it covers a much shorter portion of the earth's history ( Steurbaut, 2006).

Definition and GSSP

The base of the stage is defined by a change in the carbon isotope ratio ( "Carbon Isotope Excursion "); the end by the first occurrence of the foraminiferal genus Hantkenina. The reference profile ( GSSP = " Global Stratotype Section and Point" ) is the Dababiya profile near Luxor ( Egypt).