The Precambrian Era! (The most important era ever)
The Precambrian Era!
By Kahli Veys
When we say “Precambrian,” what time period are we talking about?
The Precambrian era spans from the formation of Earth, 4.5 billion years ago, to the evolution of abundant macroscopic hard-shelled animals, about 500 million years ago.
The Precambrian Era actually spans several eras
What Happened During the
Precambrian Era?
• Earth formed
• Life arose
• First tectonic plates arose and began to move
• Eukaryotic cells evolved
• Atmosphere became enriched in oxygen
• And, just before the end of the Precambrian, complex multicellular organisms, including the first animals, evolved.
If we represent Earth’s history on a 24 hour clock…
Precambrian Earth Video: Click Here!!
= Precambrian era
The Precambrian Era Broken Down
• Hadean: 4.6 billion years ago to roughly 3.8 billion years ago
• Archaean:
• 3.8 - 2.5 billion years ago
• Started off very hot
• Lots of volcanic activity—so much geologic activity that there were only protocontinents (not large continents that we have today)
• The Archean atmosphere is thought to have lacked free oxygen.
• Temperatures estimated to be near modern levels
• liquid water present
• Life: Stromatalites and bacterial fossils have been found from this era
• Proterozoic:
• 2.5 billion - 542 million years ago
• An eon that spans three eras: Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic,
Neoproterozoic
• Period before the first abundant complex life on Earth
• Featured massive, rapid continental accretion
• Large increase in atmospheric oxygen
• Life: herbivorous eukaryotes (algae)
• First glaciation
Our Activity: Precambrian Board Game!
1. Get in groups of 2-3
2. Collect a piece of large (heavy-weight) construction paper, a notecard, a few pieces of colored paper, colored pencils, clay, a glue stick, scissors, markers, and crayons
3. Work with your group to come up with a simple board game concept (think Candyland!)
4. Your game will span the length of the
Precambrian era
5. Use the art supplies to create your board game
6. Write out the rules to your game on the notecard
7. Make sure to make the game playable by 2+ players
8. Be sure to include the time periods within the precambrian era, using the information found on the previous page of this slideshow!
9. When everyone is done, we will play each other’s games.
Picture Sources by Slide:
1. http://www.karencarr.com/auto_image/auto_image_mid/Field_Museum_pre_cambrian_mural.jpg
2. http://www.dailygalaxy.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/22/precambrian_era.jpg
http://www.answersingenesis.org/assets/images/articles/ee/v2/geological-time-scale.jpg
3. http://www.ideofact.com/archives/trilobite.jpg
4. http://www.sharkbay.wa.gov.au/tourism/what_to_see_and_do/images/stromatolites_lge.jpg
http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/gould/gifs/burg.jpg
5. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/link/images/hist_img_01_prec.jpg
http://www.geology.wisc.edu/homepages/g100s2/public_html/Geologic_Time/Time_Clock.gif
6. http://www.wipsppc.com/symposium_poster.gif
http://www.mainsgate.com/spacebio/modules/lu_resource/ArcheanLandscape.jpeg
http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/Precambrian.html
7. http://www.arcadiastreet.com/cgvistas/earth/images/earth_ancient_volcano_600.jpg
8. http://joshreads.com/?p=1204
Information Sources: http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/Precambrian.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/precambrian/precambrian.html
http://www.palaeos.com/Timescale/Precambrian.htm
