The Messinian Salinity Crisis
 

The Geologic Timescale

The Messinian Epoch in relation to Today:

Eon	Era	Period	Epoch	Duration      (Millions of Years Ago)
Hadean	———	———	———	4567—3800
Archean	———	———	———	3800—2500
Proterozoic	———	———	———	2500—542
Phanerozoic	Paleozoic	Cambrian	———	542—488
		Ordovician	———	488—444
		Silurian	———	444—416
		Devonian	———	416—359
		Carboniferous	———	359—300
		Permian	———	300—251
	Mesozoic	Triassic	———	251—200
		Jurassic	———	200—145
		Cretaceous	———	145—65.5
	Cenozoic	Paleogene	Paleocene	65.5—55.8
			Eocene	55.8—33.9
			Oligocene	33.9—23.0
			Miocene	23.0—5.33
		Neogene	Pliocene	5.33—1.81
			Pleistocene	1.81— 0.01
			Holocene	0.01—Present

Miocene Subdivisions:

Aquitanian (23.03-20.43 *MYA)
Burdgalian (20.43-15.97 MYA)
Langhian (15.97-13.65 MYA)
Serravallian (13.65-11.68 MYA)
Tortonian (11.608-7.246 MYA)
Messinian (7.246-5.332 MYA)

*MYA= Million Years Ago