The Early Cretaceous (timestratigraphic name) or the Lower Cretaceous (logstratigraphic name), is the earlier of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous Period. It began about 146 million years ago.
During this time many new types of dinosaurs appeared or came into prominence, including the Giganotosaurus, Spinosaurs, Utahraptor and Coelurosaurs, while other survivors from the Late Jurassic continued.
In the seas, the ichthyosaurs declined and eventually died out at the start of the Late Cretaceous. Neognathous birds and angiosperms, appear for the first time.
The Lower to Early Cretaceous Period was sub divided into 6 sub periods:
Berriasian - In the geologic timescale, Berriasian is a stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch. It spanned between 145.5 million years ago and 140.2 million years ago. The Berriasian stage succeeds the Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic epoch and precedes the Valanginian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch.
Valanginian - In the geologic timescale, Valanginian is a stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch. It spanned between 140.2 million years ago and 136.4 million years ago. The Valanginian stage succeeds the Berriasian stage of the Early Cretaceous and precedes the Hauterivian stage of the Early Cretaceous.
Hauterivian - The Hauterivian is a stage of the Early Cretaceous Epoch. It spans the time between 136.4 million years ago and 130 million years ago.
Barremian - The Barremian faunal stage was a period of geological time between 130 million years ago and 125 million years ago. It is considered to be of the early Cretaceous period.
Aptian - Aptian stage is a faunal stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch in the geologic timescale, that extends from 125 million years ago to 112 million years ago, approximately. The Aptian stage succeeds the Barremian stage and precedes the Albian stage, all in the same epoch.
Albian - Albian is a stage of the Cretaceous period.
Albian is a term proposed in 1842 by A. d'Orbigny for that stage of the Cretaceous system which comes above (later) the Aptian and below (before) the Cenomanian. Approximate time range is 112.0 million years ago to 99.6 million years ago.
The following representatives of the Albian stage are worthy of notice: the gaize and phosphatic beds of Argonne and Bray in France; the Flammenmergel of North Germany; the lignites of Iltrillas in Spain; the Upper Sandstones of Nubia, and the Fredericksburg beds of North America.
Dinosaurs of the Lower Cretaceous include:
Giganotosaurus | Spinosaurus | Coelurosaurs | Utahraptor | Wuerhosaurus
Precambrian | Cambrian | Ordovician | Silurian | Devonian | Carboniferous | Permian | Upper Triassic | Lower Jurassic | Middle Jurassic | Upper Jurassic | Lower Cretaceous | Upper Cretaceous
