The quest for internationally recognized divisions of Cambrian time

Although regional stadial schemes are available, and widely used, on all the major Cambrian continents, Armorica, Australia, Avalonia, Baltica, China, Kazakh -stania, Laurentia, Siberia, the system currently has no formally agreed internationally recognized divisions. Since the IUGS Commission on Stratigraphy requires the definition of Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs), it has become the prime objective of the International Subcommission on CambrianStratigraphy to commence to document suitable biostratigraphic horizons within the system which might assist in achieving this goal.In this paper we suggest the consideration of fourteen late Early Cambrian-terminal Cambrian levels, and document their stratigraphical and biogeographical distributions.Once agreement within the Subcommission is reached on which are the most suitable, it will be necessary to search for appropriate stratotype sections, bearing in mind the necessity to calibrate the biostratigraphy by way of non-biological correlation techniques, such as chemostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy.