Roadian, Geological stage in Texas, United States
The Roadian is a geological stage from the Guadalupian epoch that existed roughly 273 to 269 million years ago. The rock layers from this period contain fossils of marine organisms and early terrestrial animals.
The Roadian was named in 1968 after the Road Canyon Formation in Brewster County and gained international recognition in 2001. This naming was based on rock exposures in Texas that represent this time period.
Scientists study the Roadian stage at the Stratotype Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains to understand the evolution of early therapsids and marine life forms.
Geologists recognize this stage by identifying specific fossils in rock layers, particularly early markers that signal its beginning. Visitors and researchers examining these formations should expect to find evidence of both marine and land-based life across the strata.
The Roadian stage contains geological evidence of a gradual decline in terrestrial vertebrate populations that extended across 20 million years.
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