Messinian
2664989
208995542
2008-04-29T14:01:52Z
Geologyguy
883056
self revert, age is correct for the time period [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 208994988 by [[Special:Contributions/Geologyguy|Geologyguy]] ([[User talk:Geologyguy|talk]])
[[Image:Messinian palaeogeography.svg|thumb|A possible palaeogeographical reconstruction of the Miocene Mediterranean. North to the left.
*Red = current coastline
*S = Sorbas basin, Spain
*R = Rifean corridor
*B = Betic corridor
*G = Strait of Gibraltar
*M = Mediterranean sea]]
'''Messinian''' is the last [[age]] of the [[Miocene]] [[epoch (geology)|epoch]]. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 [[annum|Ma]] and 5.332 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It is named after the [[Messinian evaporite]] deposit, which was named after [[Messina]] in [[Sicily]].
The Messinian stage saw the start, at around 6 million years ago, of the [[Messinian salinity crisis]], which brought about repeated desiccations of the [[Mediterranean Sea]] basin over the ensuing few million years.
== See also ==
* [[List of fossil sites]] ''(with link directory)''
== References ==
*[http://www.stratigraphy.org/geowhen/stages/Messinian.html GeoWhen Database - Messinian]
*[http://www.messinianonline.it Messinian online - living in an evaporitic world - Mediterranean area]
{{Neogene Footer}}
[[Category:Miocene]]
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