Calabrian and Ionian: A proposal for the definition of Mediterranean stages for the Lower and Middle Pleistocene

The need to standardise stratigraphical subdivisions of continuous marine sedimentary successions that outcrop for hundreds metres, using clearly defined points fixed in the field is strongly felt. A proposal is presented here to formalize regional stages for the Lower Pleistocene (Calabrian) and for the Middle Pleistocene (Ionian) in Italy. The sections are well exposed, carefully investigated using multiple criteria (an integrated stratigraphical approach) and located in the central part of the Mediterranean. This area is recognized worldwide as a classical region for the Neogene and the Pleistocene sequences. The terrestrial record is directly correlated with the deep-sea record, as dete…