Editing Neoproterozoic (section)

==Terminal period==
{{main|Ediacaran}}

The nomenclature for the terminal period of the Neoproterozoic Era has been unstable. Russian and Nordic geologists referred to the last period of the Neoproterozoic as the [[Vendian]], while Chinese geologists referred to it as the [[Sinian]], and most Australians and North Americans used the name Ediacaran.

However, in 2004, the International Union of Geological Sciences ratified the Ediacaran Period to be a geological age of the Neoproterozoic, ranging from {{Period start|Ediacaran}} to {{Period end|Ediacaran}} (at the time to 542) million years ago.<ref name=Ogg2008>{{cite book | last = Ogg | first = James G. |author2=Ogg, Gabi |author3=Gradstein, Felix M. | title = The Concise Geologic Time Scale | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 2008 | pages = 184 | url = http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521898498 | isbn = 978-0-521-89849-2}}</ref><ref name="USGS_2007">{{cite web | url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3015/fs2007-3015.pdf | title=Divisions of Geologic Time— Major Chronostratigraphic and Geochronologic Units | publisher=[[USGS]] | work=USGS Fact Sheet 2007–3015 | date=March 2007 | accessdate=22 April 2022 | author=U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Committee}}</ref> The Ediacaran Period boundaries are the only Precambrian boundaries defined by biologic [[Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point]]s, rather than the absolute [[Global Standard Stratigraphic Age]]s.