Ordovician geochronology

thumb|Rock from the Skiddaw Group, of Ordovician (Tremadocian) age, at Scawgill Bridge quarry in [[Cumbria, England, UK]]

The Darriwilian is the upper stage of the Middle Ordovician. It is preceded by the Dapingian and succeeded by the Upper Ordovician Sandbian Stage. The lower boundary of the Darriwilian is defined as the first appearance of the graptolite species Undulograptus austrodentatus around million years ago. It lasted for about 10.8 million years until the beginning of the Sandbian around million years ago. This stage of the Ordovician was marked by the beginning of the Andean-Saharan glaciation.

The Hirnantian is the final internationally recognized stage of the Ordovician Period of the Paleozoic Era. It was of short duration, lasting about 2.1 million years, from to Ma (million years ago). The early part of the Hirnantian was characterized by cold temperatures, major glaciation, and a severe drop in sea level. In the latter part of the Hirnantian, temperatures rose, the glaciers melted, and sea level returned to the same or to a slightly higher level than it had been prior to the glaciation.

The Floian is the second stage of the Ordovician Period. It succeeds the Tremadocian with which it forms the Lower Ordovician series. It precedes the Dapingian Stage of the Middle Ordovician. The Floian extended from to million years ago. The lower boundary is defined as the first appearance of the graptolite species Tetragraptus approximatus.

The Sandbian is the first stage of the Upper Ordovician. It follows the Darriwilian and is succeeded by the Katian. Its lower boundary is defined as the first appearance datum of the graptolite species Nemagraptus gracilis around million years ago. The Sandbian lasted for about 5.4 million years until the beginning of the Katian around million years ago.

first epoch of the Ordovician Period

The Dapingian is the third stage of the Ordovician system and the first stage of the Middle Ordovician series. It is preceded by the Floian and succeeded by the Darriwilian. The base of the Dapingian (and the top of the Floian) is defined as the first appearance of the conodont species Baltoniodus triangularis which happened about million years ago. The Dapingian lasted for about 1.9 million years until about million years ago.

third and final epoch of the Ordovician Period

The Katian is the second stage of the Upper Ordovician. It is preceded by the Sandbian and succeeded by the Hirnantian Stage. The Katian began million years ago and lasted for about 7.6 million years until the beginning of the Hirnantian million years ago. During the Katian the climate cooled which started the Late Ordovician glaciation.