The Lower Pleistocene before the Pre-Pastonian

Abstract

The duration of the Early Pleistocene in the British Isles has not been quantified. However, reference to palaeomagnetic and radiometric data from other areas suggests that it was in progress for at least 800000 years. In this account the stages referred to the Lower Pleistocene follow the scheme of Stuart (1982), who has justified the inclusion of the Pre-Pastonian and Pastonian in a Lower Pleistocene division (Table 1.1) on vertebrate faunal evidence. West (1980a) has noted that certain characteristics of Pastonian pollen assemblages link them to Early Pleistocene temperate-stage floras. However, in a scheme for East Anglia (West 1980b) the Pastonian and PrePastonian stages have been designated as Middle Pleistocene. Sites referred to within this chapter are shown in Figure 3.1.