1. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Grenville ProvinceOrogenic Belt (0.9-1.3 byBP) Contains metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, igneous intrusions

2. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Grenville ProvinceOrogenic Belt (0.9-1.3 byBP) Formation of Super-continent Rodinia (Rodinia is Russian for Homeland)

3. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Grenville ProvinceOrogenic Belt (0.9-1.3 byBP)

4. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Grenville ProvinceOrogenic Belt (0.9-1.3 byBP)

5. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Igneous Rocks Anorogenic igneous intrusions (those not associated with orogenic or mountain-building events) occurred from 1.4-1.5 by in a broad belt across North America, from California to Labrador. The plutons are composed primarily of anorthosites (rocks dominated by calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and gabbroic minerals) and granites.

6. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Belt Supergroup Going to the Sun Mountain Glacier National Park

7. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Belt Supergroup Chief Mountain Glacier National Park

8. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Belt Supergroup

9. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Grand Canyon Sequence

10. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Grand Canyon Sequence Vishnu Schist Zoroaster Granite

11. The gorge is black and narrow below, red and gray and flaring above, with crags on the walls. Down in these grand, gloomy depths we glide, ever listening, for the mad waters keep up their roar. The boats are entirely unmanageable. - John Wesley Powell THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Grand Canyon Sequence

12. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Grand Canyon Sequence Part of Mazatal Orogeny (1.6-1.8 byBP)

13. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Mesoproterozoic Era (1.0-1.6 byBP) Mesoproterozoic Rocks Grand Canyon Sequence (correlative with Belt)

14. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Neoproterozoic Era (0.544 - 1.0 byBP) Neoproterozoic Rocks Grand Canyon Sequence

15. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Fossil Record Eucaryotes Appeared by Mesoproterozoic time (1.6 by to 1.4 byBP). Increased in abundance about 1.4 by ago. Potential for sexual reproduction and increasing variation.

16. THE LESS-PRIMORDIAL EARTH The Fossil Record Acritarchs Single-celled spherical, organic-walled microfossils. It is not known what sort of organism they were. They may have been phytoplankton. First appeared 1.6 by ago. Maximum diversity and abundance 850 my ago. They declined steadily during the Neoproterozoic glaciation. Few remained by 675 my ago. Useful for correlation in Proterozoic strata.

17. EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS Beginning of PHANEROZOIC EON translates “visible life”

18. EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS Beginning of Phanerozoic is also beginning of the PALEOZOIC ERA translates “ancient life”

19. EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY