The Pliocene‐Pleistocene boundary in western and southern Europe

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Abstract
A review on the position of the Pliocene‐Pleistocene boundary is presented. Uncertainties about the Calabrian stratotype and mammal faunas ill relation to absolute datings are discussed. In the North Sea basin and elsewhere a marked cold stage, the Praetiglian, began about 2.5 million years ago. It caused a partial extinction of the flora, which in Italy too is distinctly represented in fresh‐water as well as marine deposits. In the latter deposits, the extinction level coincides with the base of the Calabrian. The same type of extinction occurs at the base of the Villafranchian faunal sequence dated between about 2.5 and 3.1 million year‐s ago. The Calabrian base is therefore most probably at about 2.5 m.y., not at 1.8 m.y. as previously thought. The 1948 Recommendation on the position of the Plio‐Pleistocene boundary is still considered valid.