This wallchart provides a reference for the names and durations of geologic periods since the appearance of hard-bodied fossils 545 million years ago. Concise explanations of the names and ages are provided in the accompanying book.

This colorful wall chart and companion guidebook represent a compilation of the history and current status of the major subdivisions of the Phanerozoic Eon; they are derived from the detailed charts presented in An Australian Phanerozoic Timescale. The wallchart displays a linear timescale for the Phanerozoic taken to the level of stages; a non-linear scale for the Precambrian is included to show the fullness of geologic time. The Explanatory Notes describe briefly each time period: its history, definition of its base in terms of isotopic and biostratigraphic data, and its subdivision into series and stages. AGSO Phanerozoic Timescale 1995 integrates standard European time units and Australian Cambrian and Ordovician stages. This scale is significant for global correlation of Phanerozoic sequences and their biotas. It will be useful to resource exploration companies, geological surveys, university and school students, and individual professional and amateur geologists.