Pastonian Stage

{{Short description|Stage of Pleistocene}}

The Pastonian interglacial, now called the Pastonian Stage (from Paston, Norfolk), is the name for an early or middle Pleistocene stage of geological history in the British Isles. It precedes the Beestonian Stage and follows the Pre-Pastonian Stage. Unfortunately the precise age of this stage cannot yet be defined in terms of absolute dating or MIS stages. The Pre-Pastonian Stage is equivalent to the Tiglian C5-6 Stage of Europe and the Pre-Illinoian I glaciation of the early Pre-Illinoian Stage of North America.{{cite journal |author=McMillan, A.A. |title=A provisional Quaternary and Neogene lithostratigraphic framework Great Britain |journal=Netherland Journal of Geosciences |volume=84 |issue=2 |pages=87–107 |year=2005|doi=10.1017/S0016774600022988 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2005NJGeo..84...87M |url=http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/680/1/This%20paper%20presents%20an%20overview%20of%20a%20provisional%20lithostratigraphical%20framework%20for%20the%20Quaternary%20and%20Neogene%20deposits%20of%20Great%20Britain.pdf }}Gibbard, P.L., S. Boreham, K.M. Cohen and A. Moscariello, 2007, [http://www.quaternary.stratigraphy.org.uk/correlation/POSTERSTRAT_v2007b_small.jpg Global chronostratigraphical correlation table for the last 2.7 million years v. 2007b], jpg version 844 KB. Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, EnglandLisiecki, L.E., 2005, [http://www.lorraine-lisiecki.com/LR04_MISboundaries.txt Ages of MIS boundaries.] [http://www.lorraine-lisiecki.com/stack.html LR04 Benthic Stack] Boston University, Boston, MA{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1029/2004PA001071| title = A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ¹⁸O records| date=January 2005 | last1 = Lisiecki | first1 = L. E.| authorlink = Lorraine Lisiecki| journal = Paleoceanography| volume = 20| pages = PA1003| last2 = Raymo | first2 = M. E.| issue = 1| authorlink2 = Maureen Raymo| url = http://lorraine-lisiecki.com/LisieckiRaymo2005.pdf |bibcode = 2005PalOc..20.1003L | hdl = 2027.42/149224| hdl-access = free}}
{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1029/2005PA001164 | title = Correction to "A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ¹⁸O records"| date=May 2005 | last1 = Lisiecki | first1 = L. E.| journal = Paleoceanography| volume = 20| issue = 2| pages = PA2007 | last2 = Raymo | first2 = M. E.|bibcode = 2005PalOc..20.2007L | doi-access = free}}
data: {{doi|10.1594/PANGAEA.704257}}.

Deciduous woodland increased, including species such as Hornbeam (Carpinus), Elm (Ulmus), Hazel (Corylus), and Spruce (Picea). Towards the end of the period, there is evidence for a fall in sea levels and an increase in grassland species.