Precambrian Earth and Life

HistoryThe Archean Eon

Group 1
11 Stem 2 Grand Teton National Park,
Wyoming
Precambrian 4 Billion Years

88% of
geologic
time
 The Archean
4000, to 2500 million years ago.
Archean Eon is subdivided into four eras:
-Neoarchean (2.8 to 2.5 billion years ago)
-Mesoarchean (3.2 to 2.8 billion years ago), -
Paleoarchean (3.6 to 3.2 billion years ago),
-Eoarchean (4 to 3.6 billion years ago).
Atmosphere and oceans emerge in the
earliest Archean
Evidence of the earliest primitive life-
formsbacteria and blue-green algae
appears in rocks about 3.53.7 billion
years old
II. History of the Earths Appearnce

http://spacebio.net/modules/lu_resource/Archean
Landscape.jpeg
 III. Organisms
o Cyanobacteria (Kingdom-Eubacteria)
- also known as Cyanophyta, is a phylum
of bacteria that obtain their energy
through photosynthesis, and are the only
photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce
oxygen.
- Unlike heterotrophic prokaryotes,
cyanobacteria have internal membranes.
They are flattened sacs
called thylakoids where photosynthesis is
performed.
 Organisms
o Prokaryote (Kingdom- Archaebacteria)
- is a unicellular organism that lacks
a membrane-
bound nucleus (karyon), mitochondra, or any
other membrane-bound organelle
- In the prokaryotes, all the
intracellular water-soluble components
(proteins, DNA and metabolites) are located
together in the cytoplasm enclosed by the cell
membrane, rather than in separate cellular
compartments.
 Organisms
Stramatolites - a mounded colonies of
photosynthetic bacteria.
 QUIZ
1.) What geologic eon spanned about
4000-2500 million years ago?
2.) How many percent does Archean
eon have in Precambrian period?
3.) What kingdom does prokaryote
belong?
4.) Fossil found as the evidence of
Archean Eon existence
 5.) A bacteria obtaining its energy
through photosynthesis.

6-9) Four eras exist in Archean Eon.

10.) An era that spanned about 3 to 4.6

billion years ago.
References:
www.owlnet.rice.edu/~esci102/Spring05
/lectures17_18.ppt
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/precambr
ian/archean_hadean.php