RE: paleonet Ediacaran Period

["Andy Rindsberg" <arindsberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Curious minds want to know: Would anyone care to summarize the reasons that
'Ediacaran' was chosen over 'Sinian' and 'Vendian'? Priority is important
but it is not the only consideration in stratigraphy. 

Also, why was the form 'Ediacaran' chosen over 'Ediacarian', the form that
one would expect by analogy with Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, etc.? The
suffix would have distinguished taphonomic (Ediacaran) and stratigraphic
(Ediacarian) uses of the word. Both forms were in use: Google search shows
195 uses of 'Ediacaran Period' and 65 of 'Ediacarian Period'.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama