The Ediacaran was the last period (system in stratigraphy) of the Neoproterozoic era and lasted from 635 to 538.8 ± 0.2 million years ago. It is named after the Ediacara Hills of South Australia. Good fossils of multi-celled animals were found in Ediacaran sediments. Its fauna (or Vendobionta) flourish worldwide in seas. Trace fossils of worm-like Trichophycus, etc. First sponges and trilobitomorphs. Enigmatic forms include oval-shaped Dickinsonia, frond-shaped Charniodiscus, and many soft-jellied creatures.
Definition[]
As of 2024, Ediacaran is the only system of the Precambrian with GSSP. It was established in 1990 in Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The lower boundary corresponds to the base of the Marinoan cap carbonate.[1]