Major Events of the Precambrian

By jjones0579@email.vccs.edu
  • Period: 4570 BCE to 4000 BCE

    Hadean Eon (4.57–4.0 Ga)

    4.57 Ga - Earth’s formation! The moon creation impact happens here. Rotation stabilizes. 4.4 Ga - Liquid water appears, laying the groundwork for life.
  • 4000 BCE

    Archean Eon (4.0–2.5 Ga)

    3.8–3.5 Ga – First microbial life appears! Biodivergence of bacteria/archea.
  • 2500 BCE

    Paleoproterozoic (2.5–1.6 Ga)

    2.5 Ga – Great Oxidation Event (GOE). Cyanobacteria creates oxygen that builds our atmosphere.
    2.4–2.2 Ga - Planet's climate is altered extensively by Huronian glaciation.
    2.0 Ga - Eukaryotes emerge to take advantage of this resource.
  • 1600 BCE

    Mesoproterozoic (1.6–1.0 Ga)

    1.3 Ga - Rise of sexual reproduction. First multicellular fossils!
  • 1000 BCE

    Neoproterozoic (1.0–0.54 Ga)

    850–540 Ma - 2nd major oxygen event (NOE) raises levels even more.
    720–635 Ma - Snowball Earth: massive glaciation event/ice age. Life and the environment are stressed.
    635–541 Ma - First large multicellular life appears.
  • 541 BCE

    End of Precambrian (~541 Ma)

    541 Ma - Precambrian explosion: animal phyla diversifies extremely rapidly, filling the oceans with many different organisms who fill countless niches.