Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which six ages make up the Early Cretaceous Epoch?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Cretaceous Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the late Cretaceous Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
The Early Cretaceous Epoch is divided into six distinct ages. In ascending order, these are:
These stages correspond to the rock units of the Lower Cretaceous Series, which were defined by geologists in the 19th century based on specific type areas in Europe.2