Times given indicate the start of the respective stages and epochs. Several of these stages are further divided into upper and lower or upper, middle, and lower, although this has not been noted below unless unique names have been given to these sub-stages. As with the international geologic scale, these epochs and stages are largely named for locales where rock dating from these time periods is in evidence, with stage names predominantly but not always named for locales close to their epoch's namesake site. Where known, these places are also linked in the list below.
Cenozoic Era Mesozoic Era ====
Cretaceous Period==== ====
Jurassic Period==== ====
Triassic Period====
Palaeozoic Era ====
Permian Period==== ====
Carboniferous Period==== ====
Devonian Period==== Stages prior to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period use either international (Devonian/Silurian) or Australian (Ordovician/Cambrian) geologic stage names; very little New Zealand rock is known from these geologic periods. ====
Silurian Period==== ====
Ordovician Period==== ====
Cambrian Period==== ===
Proterozoic,
Archaean and
Hadaean Aeons===
Footnotes to time scale • This stage is sometimes further divided into Mangaoran (lower) and Waikatoan (upper). These are named after Mangaora Inlet (an arm of
Kawhia Harbour) and the
Waikato River. • This stage is sometimes further divided into Kiriteherean (lower) and Marokopan (upper). These are named after the
Marokopa River and the nearby
Kiritehere Stream. • Until the late 1960s, the Flettian and Barettian stages were together known as the Braxtonian stage (see Waterhouse 1969). This was named for
Braxton Burn, a stream near
Mossburn. • Where not subdivided usual reason is no stages recognised due to absent record ==See also==