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RE: Abbreviation update
An abbreviation correction:
> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> David Marjanovic
>
> LT, LJ, LK: Late Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous
LT would be an IMPROPER abbreviation for Late Triassic.
The geologic Periods have formal abbreviations used in the geologic
literature (most often on geologic maps). The abbreviation for Triassic is
Tr (in reality, it is a non-standard character comprised of a capital "T"
with a small capital "R" attached to the vertical bar of the "T").
Although there is some sloppy misusage of abbreviations (particularly by
non-geologically oriented paleontologists and other evolutionary biologists)
in the scientific literature, these have been standardized for some time.
For those interested, here they are:
Q Quaternary
T Tertiary
K Cretaceous
J Jurassic
Tr Triassic (see above for description of the actual character)
P Permian
C Carboniferous
(in the U.S. literature,
|P Pennsylvanian (the character is a capital P with a vertical
line right
next to the shaft of the "P"
M Mississippian
D Devonian
S Silurian
O Ordovician (also sometimes a capital "Theta")
C- Cambrian (this one I can't type: it is a capital "C" with a small
horizontal bar cutting through the midsection of the "C")
Hence, K/T for "Cretaceous-Tertiary".
For other time units there are less globally-standardized abbreviations (X,
Y, Z for various parts of the Precambrian in USGS literature, for instance).
The above list, though, is pretty darn common.
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland College Park Scholars
College Park, MD 20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone: 301-405-4084 Email: tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol): 301-314-9661 Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796