Chinese scientists recently published a volume about the country's integrative stratigraphy and timescale, summing up the latest advances in the research area during the last two decades.

The volume, a collection of papers compiled by Shen Shuzhong and Rong Jiayu -- two academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), summarizes findings in the integrative stratigraphy and timescale from Ediacaran to Quaternary, covering a time span of 635 million years.

It was released earlier this month in the academic journal SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences.

According to Shen, major geological and biological events have altered the evolutionary processes of the whole biosphere. Establishing a high-resolution stratigraphic framework and timescale is essential to understanding their tempo and causes.

The volume also aims to offer important references for inter-continental and regional stratigraphic correlation and geographical mapping in China.

China possesses nearly complete strata from Ediacaran to Quaternary, covering wide paleogeographic regions and containing abundant well-preserved fossils.

Shen said China's stratigraphy has made many breakthroughs during the past several decades. He suggested researchers should study ancient paleogeography under high-resolution stratigraphic framework and timescale using big data technology.