The Neoproterozoic to lowermost Cambrian age of the Svrchnice Formation, suggested by its comparison with similar rocks in the central part of the Teplá–Barrandian Unit, was confirmed by U–Pb dating. Ages of detrital zircons from the metaconglomerate matrix cluster around two values: Archaean to Paleoproterozoic U/Pb ages between ca. 2580 and 1780 Ma and Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian ages between 660 and 520 Ma with a significant peaks at 600 and 544 Ma suggesting local volcanic activity extending shortly beyond the Proterozoic/Paleozoic boundary. Zircons separated from two trondhjemite pebbles from the metaconglomerate yielded a mean U–Pb age of 610 ± 17 Ma arguing for active arc magmatism during the latest Neoproterozoic. The overall age distribution of detrital zircons and the absence of Grenvillian zircon ages favour a location of the Teplá–Barrandian Unit close to the West African craton at the Neoproterozoic/Paleozoic boundary. The rapid onset of a transtensional geotectonic regime and maturing of sediments is evidenced by the overlying Cambrian shallow-water clastics alternating with predominantly felsic calc-alkaline to alkaline volcanics. During the Cambrian oblique plate convergence, the active continental margin was transformed into belts of horsts and narrow pull-apart or small rift basins. After the Ordovician break-off of Armorican Terrane Assemblage blocks from Gondwana, the extensional regime in the Teplá–Barrandian Unit continued until the beginning of Variscan orogeny in the Middle Devonian.