BARREMIAN STAGE

the fourth of six main divisions (in ascending order) in the Lower Cretaceous Series, representing all those rocks deposited worldwide during the Barremian Age (124 to 119 million years ago). The classic type district for rocks of this age is located around Angles, in Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence department in southeastern France. In northern Europe the Barremian Stage is represented by portions of the thick Hils Clay, while in England it includes the upper portions of the Wealden sandstones and clays. The base of the stage is generally taken at a point containing the fossil ammonite cephalopod Pseudothurmannia. The biozones of the calcareous nannofossil Nannoconus steinmanni and of the planktonic foraminiferan Hedbergella sigali are also considered diagnostic for rocks of this age. Rocks of the Barremian Stage overlie those of the Hauterivian Stage and underlie rocks of the Aptian Stage.