System	Series	Stage	Age (Ma)
Paleogene	Paleocene	Danian	younger
Cretaceous	Upper	Maastrichtian	66.0–72.1
		Campanian	72.1–83.6
		Santonian	83.6–86.3
		Coniacian	86.3–89.8
		Turonian	89.8–93.9
		Cenomanian	93.9–100.5
	Lower	Albian	100.5–~113.0
		Aptian	~113.0–~125.0
		Barremian	~125.0–~129.4
		Hauterivian	~129.4–~132.9
		Valanginian	~132.9–~139.8
		Berriasian	~139.8–~145.0
Jurassic	Upper	Tithonian	older
Subdivision of the Cretaceous system according to the IUGS, as of July 2012.

The Early Cretaceous (geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 146 Ma to 100 Ma.

During this time many new types of dinosaurs appeared or came into prominence, including Psittacosaurus, spinosaurids 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. Angiosperms^[1] appear for the first time.

References

See also

• Geologic Period
• Late Cretaceous

Cretaceous Period
Lower/Early Cretaceous	Upper/Late Cretaceous
Berriasian | Valanginian | Hauterivian Barremian| Aptian | Albian	Cenomanian | Turonian | Coniacian Santonian |Campanian | Maastrichtian