Pragian
The Pragian Age/Stage within the Early Devonian (ICS 2026/06); about 413.02–410.62 Ma.
Language and route: Czech city-name → international English. Czech city-name → international English. Name-source: Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.
Literal gloss: named after Prague (Praha), Czech Republic
The name and its history
International designation in the 1985 Devonian stages agreement; first independent coinage not demonstrated · International designation in the 1985 Devonian stages agreement; first independent coinage not demonstrated
- What does the word literally mean?
- Named from Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.
- What did the original author mean?
- The interval between Lochkovian and Emsian that international workers selected from Bohemian material rather than the provincial Belgian Siegenian classification.
- Why was the name needed?
- The Gedinnian and Siegenian produced ambiguous global correlations; Pragian provided a stage correlated via marine fossil succession around Prague.
- What evidence supported the original concept?
- The Velká Chuchle quarry GSSP within the Prague area uses conodont Eognathodus sulcatus, backed by tentaculites and chitinozoans.
- How has geology changed the concept?
- Pragian replaced the older Siegenian in the international framework; its worldwide definition is fixed by a point in a Prague section rather than the linguistic meaning of the city.
Further historical context
*Original use.* The interval between Lochkovian and Emsian that international workers selected from Bohemian material rather than the provincial Belgian Siegenian classification.
*Historical problem.* The Gedinnian and Siegenian produced ambiguous global correlations; Pragian provided a stage correlated via marine fossil succession around Prague.
*Evolution.* Pragian replaced the older Siegenian in the international framework; its worldwide definition is fixed by a point in a Prague section rather than the linguistic meaning of the city.
Editorial qualification
Use 1985 for international adoption, not necessarily first utterance or first printed use.
Related names
Devonian · Early Devonian · Lochkovian · Emsian · Fossil
Sources
- ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart, 2026/06 — Current nomenclature, rank and numerical age
- ICS official Pragian GSSP — International boundary stratotype and correlation evidence
- Ziegler & Klapper (1985), international stage-name adoption — Historical naming, original claim or scholarly review; see confidence note
- ICS Devonian Subcommission, full sequence — Cross-check order and stage nomenclature