Paleoarchean
Sign in to saveThe Paleoarchean ( ), also spelled Palaeoarchaean (formerly known as the early Archean), is a geologic era within the Archean Eon. The name derives from Greek "Palaios" ancient. It spans the period of time . The era is defined chronometrically and is not referenced to a specific level of a rock section on Earth. The earliest confirmed evidence of life comes from this era, and Vaalbara, one of Earth's earliest supercontinents, may have formed during this era.
Key facts
- Geologic timespan.color
- Paleoarchean
- Geologic timespan.top_bar
- all time
- Geologic timespan.image_map
- Vaalbara Continent.jpg
- Geologic timespan.caption_map
- Vaalbara, a hypothetical continent dating from 3.6 to 2.7 billion years ago
- Geologic timespan.timeline
- Paleoarchean
- Geologic timespan.proposed_boundaries1
- 4031–3490 Ma
- Geologic timespan.proposed_boundaries1_ref
- Gradstein et al., 2012
- Geologic timespan.proposed_subdivision1
- Acastan Period, 4031–3810 Ma
- Geologic timespan.proposed_subdivision1_coined
- Gradstein et al., 2012
- Geologic timespan.proposed_subdivision2
- Isuan Period, 3810–3490 Ma
- Geologic timespan.proposed_subdivision2_coined
- Gradstein et al., 2012
- Geologic timespan.name_formality
- Formal
- Geologic timespan.alternate_spellings
- Palaeoarchaean
- Geologic timespan.synonym1
- Early Archean
- Geologic timespan.celestial_body
- earth
- Geologic timespan.usage
- Global (ICS)
- Geologic timespan.timescales_used
- ICS Time Scale
- Geologic timespan.chrono_unit
- Era
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Early life
- Continental development
- Impacts
- References
- External links
The Paleoarchean ( ), also spelled Palaeoarchaean (formerly known as the early Archean), is a geologic era within the Archean Eon. The name derives from Greek "Palaios" ancient. It spans the period of time . The era is defined chronometrically and is not referenced to a specific level of a rock section on Earth. The earliest confirmed evidence of life comes from this era, and Vaalbara, one of Earth's earliest supercontinents, may have formed during this era.
== Early life == thumb|left|upright 1.2| A stromatolite formed by Paleoarchean microbial mats, preserved as a [[fossil, from Pilbara craton, Western Australia.]] The geological record from the Paleoarchean era is very limited. Due to deformation and metamorphism, most rocks from the Paleoarchean era cannot provide any useful information. There are only two locations in the world containing rock formations that are intact enough to preserve evidence of early life: the Kaapvaal Craton in Southern Africa and the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia.