The Serpukhovian is the youngest stage of the Mississippian, the lower subsystem of the Carboniferous. It is preceded by the Visean and is followed by the Bashkirian. The Serpukhovian correlates with the lower part of the Namurian stage in regional European stratigraphy and the middle and upper parts of the Chesterian stage in North American stratigraphy. It also overlaps with the Chinese Dewuan stage. The top of this stage is at the FAD of the conodont Declinognathodus nodiliferus.

Up till now, no GSSP had been assigned to the Serpukhovian stage. The task group has recently proposed the FAD of conodont species Lochriea ziegleri in evolutionary lineage Lochriea nodosa-Lochriea ziegleri as the best index for this boundary definition. Several sections, including Nashui in South China, Verkhnyaya Kardailovka in Russian and two Spanish sections are being considered as potential candidates for the GSSP of the Serpukhovian stage.