89% of Earth’s Geologic Time PRECAMBRIAN 89% of Earth’s Geologic Time
Giant Impact Hypothesis 4.5-4.7 BYA
Hadean Eon: 4.000-4.567 BYA Time of the heavy bombardment Following formation of the earth-moon system
Archean Eon 4.000 – 2.500 BYA First appearance of life (~3.7 BYA) Appearance of continental plates (formation of granite) Stable atmosphere Oxygenic photosynthesis (3.5 BYA) Pillow Lava in the Temagami Greenstone Belt of the Canadian Shield
Proterozoic Eon 0.541 – 2.500 BYA Characterized by rise in microbial life Photosynthesis gave rise to increased levels of oxygen (Great Oxygenation Event) ~2.2-2.3 BYA Photosynthesis caused drawdown of atmospheric carbon Led to multiple Ice Ages (the first one was in the Archaean) Huronian Glaciation 2.4 – 2.1 BYA Cryogenian Glaciations 0.720 – 0.625 BYA Eukaryotes appeared around 2 BYA Followed by the Boring Billion (1.85-0.85 BYA) Multicellular organisms appeared around 0.600 BYA (Ediacaran Fauna) Stromatolite from South America