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Precambrian
The Beginning of Time
What is the
Precambrian Time?
• Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
• The Precambrian Time is the time the
Earth was first formed.
• This time is also called the beginning
of life on Earth.
• Earth's time is divided into four
Eons, The Precambrian,
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.
The Precambrian, being the first
Eon.
Precambrian Era’s
- Hadean Era
-Archean Era
-Proterozoic Era
Hadean Era
 The Hadean Era was the when the Earth was first
forming. Hadean is the first Era of the
Precambrian time. It was the time that the solar
system was forming in a cloud of dust and gas. Or
commonly known as the Solar Nebula. The Solar
Nebula eventually spawned planets, moons,
asteroids, and comets.
 The Climate conditions of Hadean was very hot.
Eventually into the next Era, Archean, is when
Earth started to cool down. Very few terrestrial
rocks are found from the Hadean Era. There was
no known life forms in the Hadean Era.
Archean Era
 The second Era of the Precambrian time is
known as the Archean Era. This Era began
about 4 to 2.5 billion years ago. During
this time the Earth started to cool down.
 Torrential rain from the water from
comets and hydrated minerals from the
atmosphere cooled the planet and filled
the first oceans with water.
 About 3.5 to 2.8 billion years ago living
bacteria started to exist in the oceans of
Archean. At the end of the Archean Era
the ocean floors were covered at the
bottom with living microscopic
prokaryotes and bacteria.
Proterozoic Era
 The “Age of hidden Life” or the Proterozoic Era was the last Era of the Precambrian
Time. During this time major geologic changes developed and changed the Earth’s
surface. Rodinia (a major geologic change) formed from plate tectonics pushing
6
upward in theo Earth’s
surface. Coastal waters from Rodinia filled rounded colonies
of photosynthetic algae, also known as stromatolites.
 During the end of the Proterozoic Era more life forms began to
develop such as autotrophs and soft bodied heterotrophs. Very
few fossils are found in the Proterozoic Era because most life
forms were soft bodied.
Eras
Geologic Conditions
Climate Conditions
Plant/Animals
Hadean
Molten Materials
Hot, everything was
on fire.
None
Eras
Geologic Conditions
Climate Conditions
Plant/Animals
Archean
Sheild Rock started to
form and Earth started
to cool down. Also
plate tectonics started
to form.
The climate went from
hot to cooler. The
Earth wasn’t freezing
but it did cool down
quite a bit during this
Era.
Microscopic
prokaryotes and living
bacteria started to
exist.
Era
Geologic Conditions
Climate Conditions
Plant/Animal
Proterozoic
Rodinia (a major
geologic change)
occurred from plate
tectonics pushing
upwards and
structures started to
form such as hills.
The Climate wasn’t
too hot or too cold it
was in between the
Archean and Hadean
Era temperatures.
Autotrophs and soft
bodied heterotrophs
existed during the
end of this Era.
The Enddddddddddddd 
URL’s for pictures
http://geo.msu.edu/extra/geogmich/Precambria
n.html
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/the-infantearth-less-hellish-but-still-probably-not-a-funplace
http://www.rockhounds.com/grand_hikes/hikes/
stromatolites_in_the_hakatai/
http://www.corzakinteractive.com/earth-lifehistory/2_archean.htm
http://www.dandebat.dk/eng-klima1.htm