Vol. 28 No.3 September 2005

Journal of International Geoscience

Published by the International Union of Geological sciences

by Kenitiro Suguio^1,2, Alethéa Ernandes Martins Sallun², and Emílio A. A. Soares^2,3

Quaternary: “Quo Vadis”?

1 Centro de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Extensão (CEPPE), Universidade Guarulhos (UnG), Praça Tereza Cristina, 01 – Guarulhos – SP – Brazil– 07023-070. e-mail: kenitirosuguio@hotmail.com
2 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geologia Sedimentar - Instituto de Geociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Lago, 562 – São Paulo–SP – Brazil – 05508-080. e-mail: aletheamartins@hotmail.com
3 Departamento de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Av. Gal. Rodrigo O.J. Ramos, 3000, Manaus – AM –Brazil - 69077-000 e-mail:easoares@usp.br

Abstract

The Quaternary, like the long-abandoned terms Primary, Secondary and Tertiary, is a very ambiguous word, whose chronological meaning is not very well defined. Its usage spread very quickly, perhaps due to its more-or-less close relationship with the human history and with the latest glaciations. However, the oldest of human fossil record, according to recent discoveries in Africa (Djourab Desert in Tchad), is about 7 million years old, rather than 2 million years as suggested by fossils at Olduvai. Moreover, for some time now, it has been known that the first Quaternary-type glaciations occurred in several regions of the Earth between 2.5 and 3 million years ago, that is prior to the Pliocene-Pleistocene limit at 1.81 million years ago, as determined by the GSSP. These facts have led some researchers, mostly from the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), and from the International Association for Quaternary Research (INQUA), to suggest changes in the subdivision of the Neocenozoic. Certainly, discussions on this subject will be raised at many scientific meetings in the near future until almost unanimous agreement can be attained. Some additional suggestions are presented here, as a contribution to resolution of these nomenclatorial issues.  

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