Chibanian
The Chibanian, widely known by its previous designation of Middle Pleistocene is an age in the international geologic timescale or a stage in chronostratigraphy, being the second division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. The Chibanian name was officially ratified in January 2020. It is currently estimated to span the time between 0.770 Ma and 0.126 Ma, also expressed as 770–126 ka. It includes the transition in palaeoanthropology from the Lower to the Middle Palaeolithic over 300 ka.
The Chibanian is preceded by the Calabrian and succeeded by the proposed Tarantian. The beginning of the Chibanian is the Brunhes–Matuyama reversal, when the Earth's magnetic field last underwent reversal. It ends with the onset of the Eemian interglacial period.
The term Middle Pleistocene was in use as a provisional or "quasi-formal" designation by the International Union of Geological Sciences. While the three lowest ages of the Pleistocene, the Gelasian, Calabrian and Chibanian have been officially defined, the Late Pleistocene has yet to be formally defined, along with consideration of a proposed Anthropocene sub-division of the Holocene.
Definition process
The International Union of Geological Sciences had previously proposed replacement of the Middle Pleistocene by an Ionian Age based on strata found in Italy. In November 2017, however, the Chibanian replaced the Ionian as the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy's preferred GSSP proposal for the age that should replace the Middle Pleistocene sub-epoch. The "Chibanian" name was ratified by the IUGS in January 2020.Palaeoanthropology
The Chibanian includes the transition in palaeoanthropology from the Lower to the Middle Palaeolithic: i.e., the emergence of Homo sapiens sapiens between 300 ka and 400 ka. The oldest known human DNA dates to the Middle Pleistocene, around 430,000 years ago. This is the oldest found, as of 2016.Chronology
| Age | paleoclimate | glaciation | palaeoanthropology |
| 790–761 ka | MIS 19 | Günz glaciation | Peking Man |
| 761–712 ka | MIS 18 | - | - |
| 712–676 ka | MIS 17 | - | - |
| 676–621 ka | MIS 16 | - | - |
| 621–563 ka | MIS 15 | Gunz-Haslach interglacial | Heidelberg Man, Bodo cranium |
| 563–524 ka | MIS 14 | - | - |
| 524–474 ka | MIS 13 | end of Cromerian interglacial | Boxgrove Man |
| 474–424 ka | MIS 12 | Anglian Stage in Britain; Haslach glaciation | Tautavel Man |
| 424–374 ka | MIS 11 | Hoxnian, Yarmouthian | Swanscombe Man |
| 374–337 ka | MIS 10 | Mindel glaciation, Elster glaciation, Riss glaciation | - |
| 337–300 ka | MIS 9 | Purfleet Interglacial in Britain | Mousterian |
| 300–243 ka | MIS 8 | Irhoud 1 ; Middle Paleolithic; Haplogroup A | |
| 243–191 ka | MIS 7 | Aveley Interglacial in Britain | Galilee Man; Haua Fteah |
| 191–130 ka | MIS 6 | Illinoian Stage | Herto Man ; Macro-haplogroup L ; Mousterian |
| 130-123 ka | MIS 5e | peak of Eemian interglacial sub-stage, or Ipswichian in Britain | Klasies River Caves; Sangoan |