ISCS Working Groups

Working Groups and Task Group of the International Subcommission on Cambrian Stratigraphy.

The Cambrian Subcommission has devised and approved a plan for subdividing the Cambrian System into four series and 10 stages. This four-fold division of the Cambrian supersedes all previous three-part (“Lower”, “Middle” and “Upper” Cambrian) and two-part (“Lower” and “Upper” Cambrian) subdivisions that had been used in the past and which had varying meanings in different parts of the world. The two lower series will embrace two stages each, and the upper two series will embrace three stages each. Through June 2013, two series (Terreneuvian and Furongian) and five stages (Fortunian, Drumian, Guzhangian, Paibian and Jiangshanian) had been ratified with GSSPs. In addition, an ASSP has been ratified for the Jiangshanian Stage. During 2018, the Miaolingian (previously Series 3) and the Wuliuan (Stage 5) have been added.

Remaining stages and series to be defined by GSSPs are Stage 2 through 4 (and Series 2), and Stage 10. Until GSSPs for these stages and series are ratified, their boundary positions are considered provisional.

The Cambrian Subcommission has formed a Working Group to examine issues concerning the definition of the Fortunian Stage base. The base of the stage, which is conterminant with the bases of the Terreneuvian Series, Cambrian System, Paleozoic Erathem and Phanerozoic Eonothem, was ratified in 1992.

Working Group on the Stage 2 GSSP

Co-chaired by Glenn Brock (Macquarie University, Australia) and Guoxiang Li (NIGPAS, China)
Members: Heda Agic, Javier Álvaro, Marissa Betts, Fred Bowyer, Luis Buatois, Sébastien Clausen, Robert Gaines, Dimitry Grazhdankin, Tom Harvey, Jason Muhlbauer, Ben Yang.

Working Group on the Stage 3-4 GSSP

Co-chaired by Sara Pruss (Smith College, USA) and Mark Webster (University of Chicago, USA)
Members: Gerd Geyer, Sarah Jacquet, John Paterson, Emmy Smith, Michael Steiner, Andfrey Zhuravlev.

Working Group on the Stage 10 GSSP

Chair vacant
Members: Per Ahlberg, Gabriela Bagnoli, Nigel Hughes, Arne Nielsen, Tae-Yoon S. Park, Rob Ripperdan, Franco Tortello, Shelly Vernette.

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