BRECONIAN STAGE

division of the Old Red Sandstone of the Devonian Period in western Europe (the Devonian Period began about 395,000,000 years ago and lasted about 50,000,000 years); the Breconian Stage follows the Dittonian and precedes the Farlovian Stage. It was named for exposures studied at the Brecon Beacons in southern Wales. The rocks of the Breconian consist of red, gray, and green sandstones in which plant remains frequently occur. Other European sections consist of brown sandstones, conglomerates, and breccias; the fossil vertebrate Rhinopteraspis is characteristic.