They started in the Turonian at about 93.5 million years BP and lasted right to the beginning of the Santonian at 85.4 million years BP.
They most probably were already a distinct lineage by the Turonian (c.90 mya), as the Indo-Malagasy clade must have originated before the split of Madagascar from the Indian Platewhich commenced then and was finished by the end of the Cretaceous.
The fossil genus Insitiocarpus has been found in deposits from the Cenomanian period, while the other extant genera Sabia and Meliosma have been found in European deposits from the Turonian and the Maastrichtian, respectively.
Turonian |
The Boquillas Formation is a Turonian geologic unit in Big Bend National Park.