The Ediacaran:- the oldest, and newest geological period

[Michaelangelica]

Ediacara – Australia’s own geological period

Reporter: Dr Paul Willis

Producer: Paul Schneller

Researcher: Holly Trueman

9 November 2006

Fossil finds in the Australian outback have re-written the history books.

Have you ever wondered how the geological periods got their names?

 

Well the Cretaceous for example is named after the Latin word for Chalk, Creta, which make up the White Cliffs of Dover- rocks of that age.

 

And the Cambrian is named after the ancient word for Wales, Cambria, where rocks of that age were first found.

 

For the first time in 120 years, a new geological period has been named. Known as the Ediacaran Period, it is based on spectacular rock formations found in remote South Australia.

 

After years of hard work they’ve ammased enough evidence to identify the world’s oldest geological period.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1785092.htm