PROTEROZOIC

EON
PROTEROZOIC
EON
• Lasted for 1.9 Ga. lasting almost
half the age of earth

• Is when the atmosphere began to

have oxygen, eukaryotes diversified,
multicellular animals appeared and
the continents began to drift away.
EUKARYOTES
Any cell or organism that
possesses a clearly defined
nucleus. The eukaryotic cell has a
nuclear membrane that surrounds
the nucleus, in which the well-
defined chromosomes (bodies
containing the hereditary material)
are located.
The Proterozoic Eon, spanning from 2.5
billion to 541 million years ago, marks
a crucial period in Earth's history. It
witnessed the emergence of early life
forms, including stromatolites and the
Ediacaran biota
HIGHLIGHTS OF PROTEROZOIC

1 2 3
Oxygen catastrophe Supercontinents rise Extreme glaciations
transforms Earth. and fall. occur.
CYANOBACTERIA
Cyanobacteria often incorrectly
referred to as ‘green algae’, is the
photosynthetic organism believed to
have been responsible for the
transformation of the Earth’s
atmosphere in the so-called Oxygen
Catastrophe.
 Processes like continental crust formation and
orogeny, formed supercontinents like Columbia
and Rodinia. However, these landmasses
eventually fragmented as a result of plate
tectonics, creating new oceans and reshaping
continents. This cycle of supercontinent
assembly and breakup, driven by tectonic
forces, played a pivotal role in Earth's
geological history, impacting both continental
structure and the distribution of land and
oceans.
Snowball
earth
 During the Proterozoic Eon, Earth experienced
"Snowball Earth" episodes. This hypothesis
suggests that the planet may have been entirely or
nearly covered in ice, creating extreme glaciations.
While controversial, geological evidence supports
the idea of massive ice sheets extending to the
equator, possibly due to factors like reduced
greenhouse gases and increased albedo effect. The
"Snowball Earth" episodes had a profound impact
on Earth's climate and the evolution of life, making
them a fascinating aspect of Proterozoic history.
THANK
YOU!