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== Geological timescale template ==
__NOTOC__

===Usage===

DO NOT SUBST THIS TEMPLATE. When the numerical ages of the geological periods are refined, this template will always provide the most up-to-date age.

Use the format {{tlc|Ma|'''''Millions_of_years_ago'''''|'''Suffix'''|4=error='''Error'''|5=round='''Degree of accuracy'''}}

''Millions_of_years_ago'' can take a number (don't include commas, which are added automatically), or a period name (e.g. Cambrian), in which case it will return the date the period started.

''Suffix'' is optional and defaults to "million years ago".

''Error'' is an uncertainty and will be displayed as ''&plusmn; error''.  If a non-numeric value is entered, it will show the error associated with the period specified in ''Years_ago''.

''Degree of accuracy'' is the point at which to round the figure, as per the [[m:Parserfunctions|#expr:]] parserfunction.  0 will chop the figure at the decimal point; -1 will round it to the nearest 10; 1 will allow one decimal place.

===Examples===
*<nowiki>{{mya|65|million years old}}</nowiki>
:gives
 <blockquote>
 {{Ma|65|million years old}}
</blockquote>
(and the "million years old" will not wrap; it will remain on the same line.)

*<nowiki>{{mya|Cambrian|MA|error=show}}</nowiki>
:gives
 <blockquote>
 {{mya|CAMBRIAN|MA|error=sha}}
</blockquote>
*<nowiki>{{Ma|250.9876|error=5|round=2}}</nowiki>
:gives
 <blockquote>
 {{Ma|250.9876|error=5|round=2}}
</blockquote>
*To cite a range of years, <nowiki>{{Ma|250|65}}</nowiki>
:gives
 <blockquote>
 {{Ma|250|65}}
</blockquote>

=== Rationale ===
With geological time, it is often genuinely useful for the lay reader, with little grasp of how long ago 500 million years really ''is'', to be able to quickly flick to a timescale.

Hence, this template allows an easy way to implement such links.

=== See also ===
* {{tl|Gigaannum}}
* {{tl|val}} 
* {{tl|convert}}
* {{tl|gaps}}
* [[Wikipedia: Manual of Style/Dates and numbers]]

===Comments===
Please address comments about the functioning of this template to [[Template talk:Ma]], and about the design or content of the destination page at [[User_talk:Smith609/Timeline]].


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