earth science

Lutetian

Lutetian is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lutetian rather than just read about it. In short: The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between 48.07 and 41.03 Ma.

Key takeaways

Lutetian belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lutetian to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lutetian from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between 48.07 and 41.03 Ma. The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the Middle Eocene Subepoch.

Stratigraphic definition The Lutetian was named after Lutetia, the Latin name for the city of Paris. The Lutetian Stage was introduced in scientific literature by French geologist Albert de Lapparent in 1883 and revised by A. Blondeau in 1981. The base of the Lutetian Stage is at the first appearance of the nanofossil Blackites inflatus, according to an official reference profile (GSSP) established in 2011. Of two candidates located in Spain, the Gorrondatxe section was chosen. The top of the Lutetian (the base of the Bartonian) is at the first appearance of calcareous nanoplankton species Reticulofenestra reticulata. The Lutetian overlaps with the Geiseltalian and lower Robiacian European Land Mammal Mega Zones (The Lutetian Stage spans the Mammal Paleogene zones 11 through 15.), the upper Bridgerian and Uintan North American Land Mammal Ages, the upper Arshantan and Irdinmanhan Asian Land Mammal Ages, and the Mustersan and lower Divisaderan South American Land Mammal Ages. It is also coeval with the middle Johannian regional stage of Australia and the upper Ulatisian and lower Nanzian regional stages of California.

References

External links

GeoWhen Database - Lutetian Paleogene timescale, at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS Stratigraphic chart of the Paleogene, at the website of Norges Network of offshore records of geology and stratigraphy

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lutetian

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lutetian claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lutetian before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lutetian ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lutetian

In research: Lutetian appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lutetian in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lutetian is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eocene geochronology, Geological ages, Lutetian, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lutetian outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lutetian in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lutetian means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lutetian out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lutetian in simple terms?

The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between 48.07 and 41.03 Ma.

Why does Lutetian matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lutetian?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lutetian.