CORRELATING THE EOCENE-OLIGOCENE MAMMALIAN BIOCHRONOLOGICAL SCALE FROM SW EUROPE WITH THE MARINE MAGNETIC ANOMALY SEQUENCE

Magnetostratigraphic studies have been undertaken on sedimentary conti nental formations from Western France and Spain which have yielded Pal aeogene mammals. The results obtained provide new constraints on the c hronological distribution of the mammalian reference levels. A magneto zone sequence associated with the reference levels is defined. The cor relation of this sequence with the geomagnetic polarity time scale is proposed. This correlation links the late Mid-Eocene to Oligocene mamm alian biochronological scale from Western Europe to other stratigraphi c scales. A numerical calibration of the Palaeogene polarity sequence is made, taking into account recent radiometric dating. The equations to convert the ages proposed by several authors are given.