Chapter

22

The Precambrian Earth

Geologic Time Scale

22.1 Early Earth (p. 620)

Precambrian History
90% of Earths history

Evidence that Earth is more than 4.4 billion years old

Crustal rocks are about 4 billion years old

Meteorites (small fragments of orbiting bodies that have fallen on Earths surface) have been dated between 4.5 and 4.7 years old. -scientists feel the parts of the solar system were formed at the same time Moon rock samples dated at 4.45 billion years

Remnants of Precambrian Rocks

Formation of Earth (p. 621)

Gravitational Contraction
Gradual accumulation of rock caused an increase in size and mass. As mass increases, gravity increases. Gravity caused the Earths center to squeeze together.

22.2: Formation of the Crust and Continents (p. 623)

Differentiation: Denser materials sunk to center of Earth (core) and less dense materials stayed at the surface (crust), resulting in the layers of Earth. Early crust was constantly recycled Eventually water entered the mantle and the first continental crust was formed called microcontinents

22.2 Crust Formation, cont.

Craton: oldest and most stable part of a continent
Today, most are buried. Due to erosion, cratons have been exposed in some areas called the Precambrian Shield.
In North America, we call it the Canadian Shield because most of it is exposed in Canada. Also seen in MN, WI, and MI.
Contains valuable nickel, silver, and gold.

Growth of Continents (p. 625)

Microcontinents collided and formed massive mountains. Laurentia was the largest land mass in the Precambrian period.
when it collided with Amazonia, the first supercontinent (like Pangaea) was formed

22.3 Formation of the Atmosphere and Oceans (p. 628)

Atmosphere formation: Precambrian
Same time as Earths formation
Asteroids, meteors, and other objects that collided with Earth had water in them. This water vaporized upon collision, forming a haze around Earth Once Earth was formed, the atmosphere chaned due to outgassing caused by volcanic eruptions.

Later, primary plants evolved that used photosynthesis and released oxygen. Oxygen began to accumulate in the atmosphere about 2.5 billion years ago.

22.3 Stromatolites

Precambrian Fossils
The most common Precambrian fossils are stromatolites. Stromatolites are distinctively layered mounds or columns of calcium carbonate. They are not the remains of actual organisms but are the material deposited by algae. Many of these ancient fossils are preserved in cherta hard dense chemical sedimentary rock.

22.3: Evidence of Atmospheres Formation

Rocks: oxidized iron in Archean rocks show that there was oxygen in the atmosphere at that time Cyanobacteria (oxygen producers)at the beginning of the Proterozoic era produced enough oxygen to create locally high concentrations of iron oxides called banded-iron formations.

22.3: Importance of Oxygen

Animals use oxygen for respiration Protection from ultraviolet radiation (ozone layer-3 oxygens bonded together)

22.3: Formation of the oceans

Scientists think oceans reached their current size very early in Earths history Water probably originated from volcanic outgassing and asteroids, comets, and other objects that struck Earth which brought water vapor to Earth As Earth cooled, the water vapor cooled to form water

22.4 Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes

Early Paleozoic
Following the long Precambrian, the most recent 540 million years of Earths history are divided into three eras: Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

22.4: Origin of Life

Cyanobacteria existed on earth 3.5 b.y.a. Biologists suggest that the atmosphere was rich with hydrogen, methane, and ammonia, which, with the energy of lightning, gave rise to an organic primordial soup (earliest life) Organic molecules like amino acids formed

22.4: Proterozoic Life

Prokaryotes: unicellular organisms with no organelles, dominated until the end of the Precambrian Eukaryotes: first unicellular, then multicellular, with organelles, evolved from prokaryotes

Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes

Early Paleozoic
Early Paleozoic History
During the Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian periods, the vast southern continent of Gondwana encompassed five continents (South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and part of Asia).

Gondwana and the Continental Landmasses

13.2 Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes

Early Paleozoic
Early Paleozoic Life
Life in early Paleozoic time was restricted to the seas.

Life in the Ordovician Period

13.2 Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes

Late Paleozoic
Late Paleozoic History
Laurasia is the continental mass that formed the northern portion of Pangaea, consisting of present-day North America and Eurasia. By the end of the Paleozoic, all the continents had fused into the supercontinent of Pangaea.

Late Paleozoic Plate Movements

13.2 Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes

Late Paleozoic
Late Paleozoic Life
Some 400 million years ago, plants that had adapted to survive at the waters edge began to move inland, becoming land plants. The amphibians rapidly diversified because they had minimal competition from other land dwellers.

Armor-Plated Fish

Model of a Pennsylvanian Coal Swamp

13.2 Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes

The Great Paleozoic Extinction
The worlds climate became very seasonal, probably causing the dramatic extinction of many species. The late Paleozoic extinction was the greatest of at least five mass extinctions to occur over the past 500 million years.

13.3 Mesozoic Era: Age of Reptiles

Mesozoic Era
Dinosaurs were land-dwelling reptiles that thrived during the Mesozoic era. Mesozoic History
A major event of the Mesozoic era was the breakup of Pangaea.

13.3 Mesozoic Era: Age of Reptiles

Mesozoic Era
Mesozoic Life
Gymnosperms are seed-bearing plants that do not depend on free-standing water for fertilization. The gymnosperms quickly became the dominant plants of the Mesozoic era.

Canadian Rockies Were Formed Throughout the Cretaceous Period

13.3 Mesozoic Era: Age of Reptiles

Mesozoic Era
The Shelled Egg
Unlike amphibians, reptiles have shell-covered eggs that can be laid on the land. The elimination of a water-dwelling stage (like the tadpole stage in frogs) was an important evolutionary step.

13.3 Mesozoic Era: Age of Reptiles

Mesozoic Era
Reptiles Dominate
With the perfection of the shelled egg, reptiles quickly became the dominant land animals. At the end of the Mesozoic era, many reptile groups became extinct.

The Flying Reptile Pteranodon

Fossil Skull of an Extinct Crocodile

13.4 Cenozoic Era: Age of Mammals

Cenozoic North America
The Cenozoic era is divided into two periods of very unequal duration, the Tertiary period and the Quaternary period. Plate interactions during the Cenozoic era caused many events of mountain building, volcanism, and earthquakes in the West.

13.4 Cenozoic Era: Age of Mammals

Cenozoic Life
Mammalsanimals that bear live young and maintain a steady body temperature replaced reptiles as the dominant land animals in the Cenozoic era. Angiospermsflowering plants with covered seedsreplaced gymnosperms as the dominant land plants.

13.4 Cenozoic Era: Age of Mammals

Cenozoic Life
Mammals Replace Reptiles
Adaptations like being warm blooded, developing insulating body hair, and having more efficient heart and lungs allow mammals to lead more active lives than reptiles.

Fossils from La Brea Tar Pits

13.4 Cenozoic Era: Age of Mammals

Cenozoic Life
Large Mammals and Extinction
In North America, the mastodon and mammoth, both huge relatives of the elephant, became extinct. In addition, saber-toothed cats, giant beavers, large ground sloths, horses, camels, giant bison, and others died out on the North American continent. The reason for this recent wave of extinctions puzzles scientists.