SAUCESIAN STAGE

lowermost and oldest major division of Early Miocene rocks and time (23.7 to 16.6 million years ago) on the Pacific coast of North America. The Saucesian Stage, which preceded the Relizian Stage, was named for exposures studied at Los Sauces Creek, California. Three zones, or subdivisions, of Saucesian time are recognized, each of which is characterized by a distinctive species of foraminiferan (protozoans related to the common amoeba that possess a shell). The Saucesian is correlated with the Aquitanian Stage of Europe.