Proterozoic
Sign in to saveThe Proterozoic ( ) is the third of the four geologic eons of Earth's history, spanning the time interval from to Ma, and is the longest eon of Earth's geologic time scale. It is preceded by the Archean and followed by the Phanerozoic, and is the most recent part of the Precambrian "supereon".
AI overview
The Proterozoic is the longest division of Earth's history, lasting roughly two billion years and occurring between the Archean and Phanerozoic eons. It matters because understanding this vast span of time helps scientists piece together the deep history of Earth before the emergence of most visible life forms that characterize the Phanerozoic eon.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
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- From left to right: Four main Proterozoic events: Great Oxidation Event and subsequent Huronian glaciation; First eukaryotes, like red algae; Snowball Earth in Cryogenian period; Ediacaran biota
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Article
8 sectionsContents
- The Proterozoic record
- The accumulation of oxygen
- Subduction processes
- Supercontinent tectonic history
- Life
- See also
- References
- External links
The Proterozoic ( ) is the third of the four geologic eons of Earth's history, spanning the time interval from to Ma, and is the longest eon of Earth's geologic time scale. It is preceded by the Archean and followed by the Phanerozoic, and is the most recent part of the Precambrian "supereon".
The Proterozoic is subdivided into three geologic eras (from oldest to youngest): the Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic. It covers the time from the appearance of free oxygen in Earth's atmosphere to just before the proliferation of complex life on the Earth during the Cambrian Explosion. The name Proterozoic combines two words of Greek origin: meaning "former, earlier", and , meaning "of life".