Report on the 7th International Meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group, the Kilian Group (Warsaw, Poland, 21st August 2022): State of the art on the current Standard Ammonite Zonation of the Western Tethyan Mediterranean Province

The 7th meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group the 'Kilian Group (KG)' was held in Warsaw, Poland, on 21st August 2022. Need of major changes for the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition, namely to the uppermost Tithonian and lower Berriasian, and for the upper Aptian and Albian schemes is a long-known issue, which are finally conceptualized and hereby introduced into the Stan-ard Mediterranean Ammonite Zonation (SMAZ, Western Tethys). Besides, refinements were added to the Valanginian and Hauterivian stages, discussion on some zonal indices and units are also provided. The KG highlights again the exclusive use of interval zones and subzones.Most important changes of the uppermost Tithonian-Berriasian stages are the followings: i) use of two folded Berriasian is agreed, to be in better accordance with ammonite turnovers and microfossil framework; ii) uppermost Tithonian Lopeziceras chaperi, top-uppermost Tithonian to lowermost Ber-riasian Praedalmasiceras progenitor and lower Berriasian Pseudosubplanites grandis Zones are accepted to be introduced into the SMAZ, these three zones to cover the former 'Berriasella' jacobi Zone auctorum which is formally abandoned; iii) lower Berriasian Delphinella delphinensis Subzone is accepted as a reliable marker level of the upper Praedalmasiceras progenitor Zone; iv) Strambergella jacobi Zone is established and discussed. Tirnovella occitanica Zone and Tirnovella subalpina Subzone are discussed.Modifications on the Valanginian zonation are the followings: i) Neocomites premolicus Subzone is re-defined, ii) Neolissoceras (Vergoliceras) salinarium Subzone is introduced; iii) Neocomites neo-comiensiformis Zone is divided into two subzones, the lower N. neocomiensiformis and the upper Busnardoites campylotoxus Subzones. Modifications on the Hauterivian stage are the followings: i) all horizons are deleted; ii) Olcostephanus (Olcostephanus) variegatus Subzone is introduced; iii) Balearites angulicostatus Subzone is introduced; iv) all subzonal index-species of the B. balearis Zone are assigned to genus Balearites; v) Pseudothurmannia mortilleti is considered as a senior synonym of P. catulloi, therefore its nominal subzone also changed its name to mortilleti.No change in the Barremian scheme, however the base of Toxancyloceras vandenheckii Subzone and Zone is defined by the first appearance of the genus Toxancyloceras.Most important changes of the upper Aptian zonation are the followings: i) Nolaniceras nolani and 'Hypacanthoplites jacobi' zones are retained from the SMAZ; ii) re-introduction of Diadochoceras nodosocostatum Zone is given. For the Aptian-Albian transition interval, introduction of 'Hypacanthoplites' elegans Zone is accepted, where the Aptian/Albian boundary lies within.Most important zonal changes of the Albian stage are: i) the Leymeriella-based succession is abandoned from the SMAZ and replaced by the cosmopolitan Douvilleiceras-based succession; ii) Douvilleiceras leightonense Zone is introduced; iii) middle Albian Hoplites dentatus, Euhoplites loricatus, Euhoplites lautus Zones and Hoplites spathi Subzone are retained from the SMAZ and restricted to the Boreal ammonite scheme; iv) Lyelliceras lyelli Subzone arisen to zonal rank defining the basal middle Albian; v) Oxytropidoceras (Oxytropidoceras) roissyanum Zone is introduced; vi) upper Albian zonation based on the phyletic lineage of Mortoniceratids is kept, however generic names of the indices are modified to Pervinquieria; vii) Pervinquieria pricei Zone is divided into three subzones of Hysteroceras varicosum, H. binum and H. choffati from the oldest to youngest; viii) Pervinquieria inflata Zone is divided into two subzones of Hysteroceras bucklandi and Cantabrigites spp.The KG tributes to our recently deceased ammonitologist colleagues in the Supplement, a discussion on the future work is provided. The next Kilian Group meeting will be held in Hannover, prior to the first day of the 12th International Symposium on the Cretaceous System.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The 7th meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group discussed important changes in the geological age classification, including adjustments and improvements to the upper Tithonian-Berriasian, upper Aptian, and Albian stages. The meeting also discussed the Valanginian and Hauterivian stages, and provided discussions on zonal indices and units, emphasizing the use of interval zones and subzones.