• 责任者：Peng Shanchi (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology ; Chinese Academy of Sciences ; Nanjing 210008 ; China)
• 刊名：Journal of Stratigraphy
• 出版年：2009
• 卷期：33(3)
• 关键词：第四纪 ; Quaternary ; 地层单位 ; stratigraphic units
• 页码：p.298-301
• 图表：1 illus., 14 refs.
• 分类号：1400
• issnNo：ISSN0253-4959
• isbnNo：CN32-1187/P

The International Commission on Stratigraphy recently voted through proposal for the status and definition of Quaternary, which was submitted by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy. The Quaternary should be regarded as a formal unit of System/Period rank, following directly upon the Neogene System/Period, the base of Quaternary is defined by the GSSP at Monte San Nicola, Sicily, Italy, which defines the base of the Gelasian Stage (².59Ma). The base of Pleistocene Series/Epoch should be lowered at this position to coincide with the base of Quaternary System/Period. The Virca GSSP defining the formal base of Quaternary should be retained as the base of Calabrian Stage, the second stage of the revised Pleistocene.