The type Campanian and the Campanian-Maastrichtian Boundary in Europe

Abstract

In his description of the type Campanian Coquand mentioned two localities in which his Campanian unit occurs. Later investigations showed that the two sections are not exact time equivalents. As a result controversies arose whether the one or the other unit should be the type Campanian. The simplest solution is to consider both units as Campanian stratotypes, one representative for the lower part and the other for the upper part, the more so as this agrees quite well with usage outside France. Between the top of the upper Campanian type section and the base of the Maastrichtian type section a time gap exists. In this time gap the boundary between the geochronologic units Campanian and Maastrichtian has to be drawn. It is suggested to adopt the boundary of Seitz (1952) because this boundary is commonly used and because its use is in accordance with the priority principle.