Want to create interactive content? It’s easy in Genially!

Get started free

proterozoic eon

Luisa Cordova

Created on September 29, 2024

Start designing with a free template

Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:

January School Calendar

Genial Calendar 2026

Annual calendar 2026

School Calendar 2026

2026 calendar

January Higher Education Academic Calendar

School Year Calendar January

Transcript

Proterozoic Eon

This Eon started 2.5 billion years ago, and ended 451 Million Years ago.

Proterozoic Eon

what was the world like?

During the early proterozoic Era, 97-98% of the Earth was covered in water, and these oceans were not the typical blue color we know today. These waters were more green in color, because they had high levels of iron, and barely any oxygen. The lack of oxygen in the atmosphere and oceans was due to the lack of photosynthesizers. Instead, these oceans were filled with Anaerobic Microbes, and they do not need oxygen to survive or reproduce.

Proterozoic Eon

Major Event - The Great Oxygenation Event

The world was covered in cyanobacteria, leading to a rapid rise in oxygen. This catastrophe almost led to full extinction of every living thing on this planet. The world's oceans used to contain anaerobic microbes--and they don't need oxygen. As photosynthesizers created more oxygen, anaerobic microbes were being poisoned. Temperatures were dropping, causing the first ice age to start.

Proterozoic Eon

Interesting facts!

- Complex Eukaryotes evolved from simple Prokaryotes during this eon. - There are 10 periods within the Proterozoic Eon. - Once oxygen levels regulated themselves, the ozone layer we know today started to form, still during this eon. - It is assumed this is when Eukaryotic cells started to show differences between plant and animal cells.

Proterozoic Era

References & Sources

Oxygen Catastrophe. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia of Astrobiology (pp. 1196–1196). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2891 Gradstein, F.M. (2011). Proterozoic (Aeon). In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1291