A reversed polarity chron at the end of the Pliocene and the beginning of the Pleistocene. It is preceded by the Gauss and followed by the Brunhes normal-polarity chrons, and is radiometrically dated as occurring between 2.60 and 0.78 Ma ago. The Matuyama contains at least three normal polarity subchrons: Réunion, Olduvai, and Jaramillo.