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Available in 35 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-35" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">35 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%89" title="الحقبة السحيقة الوسطى – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="الحقبة السحيقة الوسطى" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarxey" title="Mezoarxey – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Mezoarxey" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%B9" title="Мезаархей – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Мезаархей" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9" title="Мезоархай – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Мезоархай" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-br mw-list-item"><a href="https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarkean" title="Mezoarkean – Breton" lang="br" hreflang="br" data-title="Mezoarkean" data-language-autonym="Brezhoneg" data-language-local-name="Breton" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Brezhoneg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarque%C3%A0" title="Mesoarqueà – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Mesoarqueà" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarchaikum" title="Mesoarchaikum – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Mesoarchaikum" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarhaikum" title="Mesoarhaikum – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Mesoarhaikum" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Era_Mesoarcaica" title="Era Mesoarcaica – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Era Mesoarcaica" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%D8%AE%D8%B3%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87" title="نخست‌زیستی میانه – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="نخست‌زیستی میانه" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9soarch%C3%A9en" title="Mésoarchéen – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Mésoarchéen" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA" title="मीसोआर्कियाई महाकल्प – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="मीसोआर्कियाई महाकल्प" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarhaik" title="Mezoarhaik – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Mezoarhaik" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarkaikum" title="Mesoarkaikum – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Mesoarkaikum" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarcheano" title="Mesoarcheano – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Mesoarcheano" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-avk mw-list-item"><a href="https://avk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istiarxeugal" title="Istiarxeugal – Kotava" lang="avk" hreflang="avk" data-title="Istiarxeugal" data-language-autonym="Kotava" data-language-local-name="Kotava" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kotava</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarch%C4%97jus" title="Mezoarchėjus – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Mezoarchėjus" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarchaikum" title="Mezoarchaikum – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Mezoarchaikum" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B5%D1%98" title="Мезоархеј – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Мезоархеј" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarkean" title="Mesoarkean – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Mesoarkean" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarche%C3%AFcum" title="Mesoarcheïcum – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Mesoarcheïcum" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%AA%E5%8F%A4%E4%BB%A3" title="中太古代 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="中太古代" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarkeikum" title="Mesoarkeikum – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Mesoarkeikum" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarchaik" title="Mezoarchaik – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Mezoarchaik" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarqueano" title="Mesoarqueano – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Mesoarqueano" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%B9" title="Мезоархей – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Мезоархей" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarchaean" title="Mesoarchaean – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Mesoarchaean" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarchaikum" title="Mezoarchaikum – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Mezoarchaikum" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezoarhaik" title="Mezoarhaik – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Mezoarhaik" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoarkeeinen_maailmankausi" title="Mesoarkeeinen maailmankausi – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Mesoarkeeinen maailmankausi" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%8B%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%99" title="มหายุคมีโซอาร์เคียน – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="มหายุคมีโซอาร์เคียน" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%B9" title="Мезоархей – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Мезоархей" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_Trung_Th%C3%A1i_C%E1%BB%95" title="Đại Trung Thái Cổ – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Đại Trung Thái Cổ" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%AA%E5%8F%A4%E4%BB%A3" title="中太古代 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="中太古代" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%AA%E5%8F%A4%E4%BB%A3" title="中太古代 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="中太古代" data-language-autonym="中文" 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id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Third era of the Archean Eon</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox" style="width:23em;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="padding:0.25em 0.33em 0.33em;line-height:1.2em;font-size:1.25em;background:rgb(247,104,169);">Mesoarchean</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader"><span class="noprint"><span style="display:inline-block;"></span><span style="display:inline-block;">3200 – 2800 <a href="/wiki/Year#SI_prefix_multipliers" title="Year">Ma</a></span> <span style="display:inline-block;"></span><div id="Timeline-row" style="margin: 4px auto 0; clear:both; width:250px; padding:0px; height:18px; overflow:visible; border:1px #666; border-style:solid none; font-size:small; position:relative; z-index:0;"> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(153,192,141); left:220.50773980251px; width:15.703916975018px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(103,197,202); left:236.21165677753px; width:10.175705559083px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(242,249,29); left:246.38736233661px; width:3.6126376633897px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(154,217,221); left:220.50773980251px; width:29.492260197491px;"><a href="/wiki/Phanerozoic" title="Phanerozoic"><span style="color:black;">Pha.</span></a></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(247,67,112); left:113.15766426554px; width:49.263240864406px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(253,180,98); left:162.42090512995px; width:32.84216057627px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(254,179,66); left:195.26306570622px; width:25.244674096293px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(247,53,99); left:113.15766426554px; width:107.35007553697px;"><a href="/wiki/Proterozoic" title="Proterozoic"><span style="color:black;">Proterozoic</span></a></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(218,3,127); left:29.355417861756px; width:23.591618680621px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(244,68,159); left:52.947036542377px; width:21.894773717514px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(247,104,169); left:74.841810259891px; width:21.894773717514px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(249,155,193); left:96.736583977405px; width:16.421080288135px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(240,4,127); left:29.355417861756px; width:83.802246403783px;"><a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean"><span style="color:black;">Archean</span></a></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:12px; top:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(174,2,126); left:0px; width:29.355417861756px;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:6px; text-align:center; background-color:rgb(174,2,126); left:0px; width:29.355417861756px;"><a href="/wiki/Hadean" title="Hadean"><span style="color:white;">Had.</span></a></div> <div id="end-border" style="position:absolute; height:100%; background-color:#666; width:1px; left:249px"></div><div style="margin:0 auto; line-height:0; clear:both; width:250px; padding:0px; height:8px; overflow:visible; background-color:transparent; position:relative; top:-4px; z-index:100;"><div style="position:absolute; height:8px; left:74.841810259891px; width:21.894773717514px; background-color:#360; opacity:0.42;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:8px; left:74.841810259891px; width:21.894773717514px; background-color:#360; opacity:1;"></div> <div style="position:absolute; height:6px; top:1px; left:75.841810259891px; width:19.894773717514px; background-color:#6c3;"></div> </div> </div></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png/250px-3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png" decoding="async" width="250" height="115" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png/375px-3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png/500px-3000_Ma_paleoglobe.png 2x" data-file-width="3814" data-file-height="1754" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">A reconstruction of the Earth's continents during the middle Mesoarchean, c. 3 Ga.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="Description on Wikimedia Commons page is "own work" with no cited sources (June 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Archean.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Archean.png/250px-Archean.png" decoding="async" width="250" height="112" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Archean.png/375px-Archean.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Archean.png/500px-Archean.png 2x" data-file-width="2510" data-file-height="1124" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Artist impression of the <a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean">Archean</a> eon</div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Banded_iron_formation_(Goldman_Meadows_Formation,_Mesoarchean;_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine,_South_Pass,_Wyoming,_USA)_2_(30749219994).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Banded_iron_formation_%28Goldman_Meadows_Formation%2C_Mesoarchean%3B_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine%2C_South_Pass%2C_Wyoming%2C_USA%29_2_%2830749219994%29.jpg/250px-Banded_iron_formation_%28Goldman_Meadows_Formation%2C_Mesoarchean%3B_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine%2C_South_Pass%2C_Wyoming%2C_USA%29_2_%2830749219994%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="176" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Banded_iron_formation_%28Goldman_Meadows_Formation%2C_Mesoarchean%3B_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine%2C_South_Pass%2C_Wyoming%2C_USA%29_2_%2830749219994%29.jpg/375px-Banded_iron_formation_%28Goldman_Meadows_Formation%2C_Mesoarchean%3B_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine%2C_South_Pass%2C_Wyoming%2C_USA%29_2_%2830749219994%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Banded_iron_formation_%28Goldman_Meadows_Formation%2C_Mesoarchean%3B_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine%2C_South_Pass%2C_Wyoming%2C_USA%29_2_%2830749219994%29.jpg/500px-Banded_iron_formation_%28Goldman_Meadows_Formation%2C_Mesoarchean%3B_Atlantic_City_Iron_Mine%2C_South_Pass%2C_Wyoming%2C_USA%29_2_%2830749219994%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3623" data-file-height="2557" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Banded <a href="/wiki/Iron" title="Iron">iron</a> formation created during the Mesoarchean era</div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background:#ededed;">Chronology</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><div style="font-size:14px"><table id="Container" role="presentation" class="toccolours searchaux" style="text-align:left;padding:0 0.5em;border-style:none;margin:auto;overflow:hidden;min-width:23.65em"><tbody><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td id="Scale" style="padding:0;margin:0.7em 0 0.7em 0;width:4.2em;position:relative;float:left;font-size:100%;height:32em;border-right:1px solid #242020"><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:30.22em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3200 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:28.44em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:26.67em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3150 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:24.89em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:23.11em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3100 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:21.33em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:19.56em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3050 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:17.78em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:16.00em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3000 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:14.22em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:12.44em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−2950 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:10.67em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:8.89em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−2900 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:7.11em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:5.33em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−2850 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:3.56em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:1.78em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−2800 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:0.00em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div></td><td id="Timeline" class="toccolours notheme" style="padding:0px;margin:0.7em 0 0.7em 0;position:relative;font-size:100%;width:7.5em;height:32em;float:left;border:none;background-color:#000000"><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:rgb(240,4,127);border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:32.000em;left:0.000em;width:0.825em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-16.000em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><span style="line-height:16px;display:block;"><b><a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean"><span style="color:white;">A <br /> r <br /> c <br /> h <br /> e <br /> a <br /> n</span></a></b></span></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:rgb(244,68,159);border-width:0em;border-style:solid none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:30.222em;height:1.778em;left:0.900em;width:6.525em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.889em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><b><a href="/wiki/Paleoarchean" title="Paleoarchean"><span style="color:white;">Paleoarchean</span></a></b></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:rgb(247,104,169);border-width:0.1em;border-style:solid none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:1.778em;height:28.244em;left:0.900em;width:6.525em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-14.122em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><b><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mesoarchean</a></b></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:rgb(249,155,193);border-width:0em;border-style:solid none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:1.778em;left:0.900em;width:6.525em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.889em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><b><a href="/wiki/Neoarchean" title="Neoarchean">Neoarchean</a></b></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#27A1D9;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:4.409em;height:10.524em;left:6.975em;width:0.450em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-5.262em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></td><td id="Annotations" style="padding:0;margin:0.7em 0 0.7em 0;float:left;position:relative;width:10.25em;height:32em"><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:9.671em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:75%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><span style="line-height:10px;display:block;"><a href="/wiki/Pongola_glaciation" title="Pongola glaciation">Pongola glaciation</a><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class="mw-empty-elt"></tr><tr><td id="Legend" colspan="3" style="padding:0 0.2em 0.7em 1em"><table id="Legend" role="presentation" class="toccolours" style="margin-left:3.1em;border-style:none;float:left;clear:both"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0"><span style="background:#27A1D9;padding:0em .1em;border:solid 1px #242020;height:1.5em;width:1.5em;margin:.25em .9em .25em .25em"> </span></td><td style="padding:0"><div>Major <a href="/wiki/Glacial_period" title="Glacial period">Glacial period</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"> </td></tr><tr><td id="Caption" colspan="3" style="padding:0;margin:0 0.2em 0.7em 0.2em"><div id="Caption" class="toccolours" style="margin:0 auto;float:left;border-style:none;clear:both;text-align:center;width:20.5em">Events of the Mesoarchean. <br />Axis scale: millions of years ago.<br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Proposed redefinition(s)</th><td class="infobox-data"><b>3490–2780 Ma</b><br /> <span style="float:right;">Gradstein et al., 2012</span><br /></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Proposed subdivisions</th><td class="infobox-data"><b>Vaalbaran Period, 3490–3020 Ma</b><br /> <p><span style="float:right;">Gradstein et al., 2012</span><br /> <b>Pongolan Period, 3020–2780 Ma</b><br /> </p> <span style="float:right;">Gradstein et al., 2012</span><br /></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background:#ededed;">Etymology</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Name formality</th><td class="infobox-data">Formal</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Alternate spelling(s)</th><td class="infobox-data">Mesoarchaean</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background:#ededed;">Usage information</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Celestial body</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Geological_history_of_Earth" title="Geological history of Earth">Earth</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Regional usage</th><td class="infobox-data">Global (<a href="/wiki/International_Commission_on_Stratigraphy" title="International Commission on Stratigraphy">ICS</a>)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Time scale(s) used</th><td class="infobox-data">ICS Time Scale</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background:#ededed;">Definition</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Chronological unit</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Era_(geology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Era (geology)">Era</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Stratigraphic unit</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Erathem" title="Erathem">Erathem</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Time span formality</th><td class="infobox-data">Formal</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Lower boundary definition</th><td class="infobox-data">Defined Chronometrically</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Lower GSSA ratified</th><td class="infobox-data">1991<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="Previously given reference was not about the Mesoarchean but only the introduction of the Archean Eon. It even said that further sub-division of the Archean was deferred to a later date. (February 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Upper boundary definition</th><td class="infobox-data">Defined Chronometrically</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:10em;">Upper GSSA ratified</th><td class="infobox-data">1991<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="Previously given reference was not about the Mesoarchean but only the introduction of the Archean Eon. It even said that further sub-division of the Archean was deferred to a later date. (February 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></td></tr></tbody></table> <table id="Container" role="presentation" class="nomobile toccolours searchaux" style="text-align:left;padding:0 0.5em;border-style:solid;float:right;clear:right;margin:0.3em 0 0.8em 1.4em;overflow:hidden;min-width:29.95em"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" id="Title" style="padding:1em 1em 0 1em"><div style="background-color:#77bb77;padding:0 0.2em 0 0.2em;font-weight:bold;text-align:center"><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_the_evolutionary_history_of_life" title="Timeline of the evolutionary history of life"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Life timeline</span></a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" id="Navbox" style="padding:0;margin:0 1em 0 0;text-align:right"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist 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dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist"><span>This box: </span><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Life_timeline" title="Template:Life timeline"><span title="View this template">view</span></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Life_timeline" title="Template talk:Life timeline"><span title="Discuss this template">talk</span></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Life_timeline" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Life timeline"><span title="Edit this template">edit</span></a></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td id="Scale" style="padding:0;margin:0.7em 0 0.7em 0;width:4.2em;position:relative;float:left;font-size:100%;height:50em;border-right:1px solid #242020"><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:49.56em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−4500 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:48.18em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:46.81em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:45.43em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:44.05em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−4000 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:42.68em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:41.30em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:39.92em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:38.55em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3500 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:37.17em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:35.79em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:34.42em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:33.04em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−3000 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:31.66em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:30.29em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:28.91em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:27.53em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−2500 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:26.16em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:24.78em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:23.40em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:22.03em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−2000 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:20.65em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:19.27em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:17.90em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:16.52em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−1500 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:15.14em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:13.77em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:12.39em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:11.01em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−1000 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:9.64em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:8.26em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:6.88em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:5.51em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">−500 —</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:4.13em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:2.75em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">—</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:1.38em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">–</span></div><div style="float:right;position:absolute;right:-1px;top:0.00em;transform:translateY(-50%)"><span style="font-size:90%">0 —</span></div></td><td id="Timeline" class="toccolours notheme" style="padding:0px;margin:0.7em 0 0.7em 0;position:relative;font-size:100%;width:13em;height:50em;float:left;border:none"><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#e5cc7f;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:50.000em;left:0.910em;width:12.090em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-25.000em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#aebfd1;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:44.053em;height:4.537em;left:1.040em;width:11.960em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-2.269em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Origin_of_water_on_Earth" title="Origin of water on Earth">Water</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#aebfd1;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:44.053em;left:1.040em;width:0.130em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-22.026em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#b3d9ff;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:38.546em;height:5.507em;left:1.170em;width:11.830em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-2.753em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Unicellular_organism" title="Unicellular organism">Single-celled life</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#b3d9ff;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:38.546em;left:1.170em;width:0.260em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" 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style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-11.564em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#b3ffea;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:17.621em;height:5.507em;left:1.690em;width:11.310em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-2.753em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Eukaryote" title="Eukaryote">Eukaryotes</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#b3ffea;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:17.621em;left:1.690em;width:0.260em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-8.811em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ccffe7;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:5.958em;height:11.663em;left:1.950em;width:11.050em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-5.831em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Multicellular_organism" title="Multicellular organism">Multicellular life</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ccffe7;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:5.958em;left:1.950em;width:0.260em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-2.979em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#77dd00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:1.982em;height:7.379em;left:2.210em;width:1.170em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-3.689em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Plant" title="Plant"><span style="display:block; text-align:center; line-height: 0.85em;">P<br />l<br />a<br />n<br />t<br />s</span></a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#77dd00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:1.982em;left:2.210em;width:0.260em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.991em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ccbbaa;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:2.203em;height:3.756em;left:3.380em;width:9.620em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0.5em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-1.878em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Arthropod" title="Arthropod">Arthropods</a> <a href="/wiki/Mollusca" title="Mollusca">Molluscs</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ffff00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:1.982em;left:2.470em;width:3.510em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:-0.53em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.991em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Flowering_plant#Evolutionary_history" title="Flowering plant">Flowers</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#e6b880;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.721em;height:2.583em;left:3.380em;width:5.070em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0.5em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-1.291em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Dinosaur" title="Dinosaur">Dinosaurs</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ffcc00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:2.203em;left:8.580em;width:4.420em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-1.101em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ffcc00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.606em;height:1.597em;left:8.450em;width:4.290em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0.15em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.798em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Mammal" title="Mammal">Mammals</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#e6b880;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:1.333em;left:5.980em;width:2.600em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:-0.225em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.666em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Bird" title="Bird">Birds</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ffbbbb;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:0.606em;left:8.710em;width:4.030em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0.1em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:90%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-0.303em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><a href="/wiki/Primate" title="Primate">Primates</a></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#993c00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:44.053em;height:5.947em;left:0.000em;width:0.910em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:-0.05em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:100%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-2.974em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><span style="display:block; text-align:center; line-height: 0.80em;"><a href="/wiki/Hadean" title="Hadean"><span style="color:#ffffff;">H<br />a<br />d<br />e<br />a<br />n</span></a></span></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#936a00;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:27.533em;height:16.520em;left:0.000em;width:0.910em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:-1.2em;left:-0.05em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:100%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-8.260em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><span style="display:block; text-align:center; line-height: 0.85em;"><a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /><br /><br />A<br />r<br />c<br />h<br />e<br />a<br />n</span></a></span></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#f1c309;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:5.958em;height:21.575em;left:0.000em;width:0.910em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:100%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-10.787em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><span style="display:block; text-align:center; line-height: 0.85em;"><a href="/wiki/Proterozoic" title="Proterozoic"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />P<br />r<br />o<br />t<br />e<br />r<br />o<br />z<br />o<br />i<br />c</a></span></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#c1e0c1;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:5.958em;left:0.000em;width:0.910em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:2em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:100%;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-2.979em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"><span style="display:block; text-align:center; line-height: 0.85em;"><a href="/wiki/Phanerozoic" title="Phanerozoic">P<br />h<br />a<br />n<br />e<br />r<br />o<br />z<br />o<br />i<br />c</a></span></div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ccbbaa;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:8.260em;left:12.714em;width:0.286em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-4.130em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div><div class="notheme" style="font-size:100%;background-color:#ccbbaa;border-style:none none;position:absolute;text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0;top:0.000em;height:2.203em;left:12.714em;width:0.286em"><div style="font-size:100%;position:relative;top:0em;left:0em"><div class="notheme" style="position:relative;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;display:block;bottom:-1.101em;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:5"> </div></div></div></td><td id="Annotations" style="padding:0;margin:0.7em 0 0.7em 0;float:left;position:relative;width:11.05em;height:50em"><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:50.000em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Age_of_Earth" title="Age of Earth">Earth formed</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:48.568em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0.2em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Origin_of_water_on_Earth" title="Origin of water on Earth">Earliest water</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:47.907em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Last_universal_common_ancestor" title="Last universal common ancestor">LUCA</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:44.053em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Earliest_known_life_forms" title="Earliest known life forms">Earliest fossils</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:42.952em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Late_Heavy_Bombardment" title="Late Heavy Bombardment">LHB meteorites</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:38.546em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Geological_history_of_oxygen" title="Geological history of oxygen">Earliest oxygen</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:31.278em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Pongola_glaciation" title="Pongola glaciation">Pongola glaciation</a>*</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:25.330em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0.2em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Great_Oxidation_Event" title="Great Oxidation Event">Atmospheric oxygen</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:24.780em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.2em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Huronian_glaciation" title="Huronian glaciation">Huronian glaciation</a>*</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:22.026em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Evolution_of_sexual_reproduction#Origin_of_sexual_reproduction" title="Evolution of sexual reproduction">Sexual reproduction</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:17.621em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Francevillian_biota" title="Francevillian biota">Earliest multicellular life</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:16.520em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Evolution_of_fungi" title="Evolution of fungi">Earliest fungi</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:9.361em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0.25em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Evolutionary_history_of_plants" title="Evolutionary history of plants">Earliest plants</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:8.260em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0.4em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Caveasphaera" title="Caveasphaera">Earliest animals</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:7.489em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0.2em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Cryogenian" title="Cryogenian">Cryogenian ice age</a>*</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:6.993em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.2em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Ediacaran_biota" title="Ediacaran biota">Ediacaran biota</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:5.958em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.15em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Cambrian_explosion" title="Cambrian explosion">Cambrian explosion</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:4.956em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.1em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Hirnantian_glaciation" title="Hirnantian glaciation">Hirnantian glaciation</a>*</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:4.075em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.1em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Tetrapod" title="Tetrapod">Earliest tetrapods</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:3.304em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.2em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Late_Paleozoic_icehouse" title="Late Paleozoic icehouse">Karoo ice age</a>*</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:0.275em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:0.3em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Ape" title="Ape">Earliest apes</a> / <a href="/wiki/Human" title="Human">humans</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" style="position:absolute;z-index:15;top:0.018em;left:0em;transform:translateY(-50%);padding:0;margin:0;font-size:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><span style="color:var( --color-base, #000)">←</span></td><td style="padding:0;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div class="annot-nudge" style="font-size:100%;float:left;position:relative;top:-0.4em"><div style="z-index:10;font-size:90%;color:var( --color-base, #000);display:block;line-height:105%;bottom:0"><a href="/wiki/Quaternary_glaciation" title="Quaternary glaciation">Quaternary ice age</a>*</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td id="Caption" colspan="3" style="padding:0;margin:0 0.2em 0.7em 0.2em"><div id="Caption" class="toccolours" style="margin:0 0.5em;border-style:none;clear:both;text-align:center;width:26.8em"><div style="float:left;font-size:85%;">(<a href="/wiki/Myr" class="mw-redirect" title="Myr">million years ago</a>)</div><div style="float:right;font-size:95%;">*<i><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_glaciation" title="Timeline of glaciation">Ice Ages</a></i></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>Mesoarchean</b> (<span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˌ/: secondary stress follows">ˌ</span><span title="'m' in 'my'">m</span><span title="/iː/: 'ee' in 'fleece'">iː</span><span title="'z' in 'zoom'">z</span><span title="/oʊ/: 'o' in 'code'">oʊ</span><span title="/./: syllable break">.</span><span title="/ɑːr/: 'ar' in 'far'">ɑːr</span><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'k' in 'kind'">k</span><span title="/iː/: 'ee' in 'fleece'">iː</span><span title="/ə/: 'a' in 'about'">ə</span><span title="'n' in 'nigh'">n</span></span>,<span class="wrap"> </span><span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˌ/: secondary stress follows">ˌ</span><span title="'m' in 'my'">m</span><span title="/ɛ/: 'e' in 'dress'">ɛ</span><span title="'z' in 'zoom'">z</span><span title="/oʊ/: 'o' in 'code'">oʊ</span></span>-/</a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key" title="Help:Pronunciation respelling key"><i title="English pronunciation respelling"><span style="font-size:90%">MEE</span>-zoh-ar-<span style="font-size:90%">KEE</span>-ən, <span style="font-size:90%">MEZ</span>-oh-</i></a>, also spelled <b>Mesoarchaean</b>) is a <a href="/wiki/Geology" title="Geology">geologic</a> <a href="/wiki/Era_(geology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Era (geology)">era</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean">Archean Eon</a>, spanning <span class="nourlexpansion plainlinks" style="white-space:nowrap;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://geoltime.github.io/?Ma=3200–2800">3,200 to 2,800</a> million years ago</span>, which contains the first evidence of modern-style <a href="/wiki/Subduction" title="Subduction">plate subduction</a> and expansion of <a href="/wiki/Microorganism" title="Microorganism">microbial life.</a> The era is defined <a href="/wiki/Absolute_dating" title="Absolute dating">chronometrically</a> and is not referenced to a specific level in a rock section on Earth. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Tectonics">Tectonics</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mesoarchean&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Tectonics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Diagram_of_the_(conjectured)_Vaalbara_ancient_continent.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Diagram_of_the_%28conjectured%29_Vaalbara_ancient_continent.png/220px-Diagram_of_the_%28conjectured%29_Vaalbara_ancient_continent.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="110" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Diagram_of_the_%28conjectured%29_Vaalbara_ancient_continent.png/330px-Diagram_of_the_%28conjectured%29_Vaalbara_ancient_continent.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Diagram_of_the_%28conjectured%29_Vaalbara_ancient_continent.png 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="200" /></a><figcaption>Hypothesized supercontinent Vaalbara during the Mesoarchean era, breaking up in the Neoarchean era<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="Description on Wikimedia Commons page is "own work" with no cited sources (June 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png/220px-Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="181" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png/330px-Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png/440px-Map_of_earth_3%27000_million_years_ago_showing_Vaalbara_and_Ur_continents.png 2x" data-file-width="588" data-file-height="483" /></a><figcaption>Alternative configuration of Vaalbara<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="Description on Wikimedia Commons page is "own work" with no cited sources (June 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></figcaption></figure> <p>The Mesoarchean era is thought to be the birthplace of modern-style plate subduction, based on geologic evidence from the <a href="/wiki/Pilbara_Craton" title="Pilbara Craton">Pilbara Craton</a> in western <a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Smithies2007_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Smithies2007-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A <a href="/wiki/Convergent_boundary" title="Convergent boundary">convergent margin</a> with a modern-style <a href="/wiki/Volcanic_arc" title="Volcanic arc">oceanic arc</a> existed at the boundary between West and East Pilbara approximately 3.12 Ga. By 2.97 Ga, the <a href="/wiki/Pilbara" title="Pilbara">West Pilbara Terrane</a> converged with and accreted onto the East Pilbara Terrane.<sup id="cite_ref-Smithies2007_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Smithies2007-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A <a href="/wiki/Supercontinent" title="Supercontinent">supercontinent</a>, <a href="/wiki/Vaalbara" title="Vaalbara">Vaalbara</a>, may have existed in the Mesoarchean.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Environmental_conditions">Environmental conditions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mesoarchean&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Environmental conditions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Analysis of <a href="/wiki/Oxygen_isotopes" class="mw-redirect" title="Oxygen isotopes">oxygen isotopes</a> in Mesoarchean <a href="/wiki/Chert" title="Chert">cherts</a> has been helpful in reconstructing Mesoarchean surface temperatures.<sup id="cite_ref-Sleep2006_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Sleep2006-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> These cherts led researchers to draw an estimate of an oceanic temperature around 55-85°C<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> (131-185 Fahrenheit), while other studies of <a href="/wiki/Weathering" title="Weathering">weathering</a> rates postulate average temperatures below 50°C (122 Fahrenheit). </p><p>The Mesoarchean atmosphere contained high levels of atmospheric <a href="/wiki/Methane" title="Methane">methane</a> and <a href="/wiki/Carbon_dioxide" title="Carbon dioxide">carbon dioxide</a>, which could be an explanation for the high temperatures during this era.<sup id="cite_ref-Sleep2006_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Sleep2006-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Atmospheric <a href="/wiki/Dinitrogen" class="mw-redirect" title="Dinitrogen">dinitrogen</a> content in the Mesoarchean is thought to have been similar to today, suggesting that nitrogen did not play an integral role in the <a href="/wiki/Thermal_energy_storage" title="Thermal energy storage">thermal budget</a> of ancient Earth.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><span class="anchor" id="Pongola_glaciation"></span> The <b>Pongola <a href="/wiki/Glacial_period" title="Glacial period">glaciation</a></b> occurred around 2.9 Ga, from which there is evidence of ice extending to a palaeolatitude (latitude based on the magnetic field recorded in the rock) of 48 degrees. This glaciation was likely not triggered by the evolution of photosynthetic cyanobacteria, which likely occurred in the interval between the Huronian glaciations and the Makganyene glaciation.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Early_microbial_life">Early microbial life</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mesoarchean&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Early microbial life"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Microbial life with diverse metabolisms expanded during the Mesoarchean era and produced gases that influenced <a href="/wiki/Early_Earth" title="Early Earth">early Earth</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Atmospheric_chemistry" title="Atmospheric chemistry">atmospheric composition</a>. <a href="/wiki/Cyanobacteria" title="Cyanobacteria">Cyanobacteria</a> produced <a href="/wiki/Oxygen" title="Oxygen">oxygen gas</a>, but oxygen did not begin to accumulate in the atmosphere until later in the <a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean">Archean</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Small oases of relatively <a href="/wiki/Oxygenation_(environmental)" class="mw-redirect" title="Oxygenation (environmental)">oxygenated</a> water did exist in some nearshore shallow marine environments by this era, however.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mesoarchean&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geologic_time_scale" title="Geologic time scale">Geologic time scale</a> – System that relates geologic strata to time</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glacial_period" title="Glacial period">Glacial period</a> – Interval of time within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ice_age" title="Ice age">Ice age</a> – Period of long-term reduction in temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Last_glacial_period" class="mw-redirect" title="Last glacial period">Last glacial period</a> – Period of major glaciations of the Northern Hemisphere (115,000–12,000 years ago)<span style="display:none" class="category-annotation-with-redirected-description">Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mesoarchean&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFUSGS2008" class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=LwlSAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA86"><i>Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World</i></a>. 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Oxford University Press. p. 16. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-959357-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-959357-6"><bdi>978-0-19-959357-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Goldilocks+Planet%3A+The+4+billion+year+story+of+Earth%27s+climate&rft.pages=16&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2012&rft.isbn=978-0-19-959357-6&rft.aulast=Zalasiewicz&rft.aufirst=Jan&rft.au=Williams%2C+Mark&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Dp4dP2t8rnJ0C%26pg%3DPA22&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMesoarchean" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMintsBelousovaKonilovNatapov2010" class="citation journal cs1">Mints, M.V.; Belousova, E.A.; Konilov, A.N.; Natapov, L.M.; Shchipansky, A.A.; Griffin, W.L.; O'Reilly, S.Y.; Dokukina, K.A.; Kaulina, T.V. 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Hofmann, Axel; Wille, Martin; Bui, Thi Hao; Wing, Boswell A.; Schoenberg, Ronny (15 January 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-017-0036-x?error=cookies_not_supported&code=54e99c94-9890-439d-a813-c26d056ce863">"Isotopic evidence for oxygenated Mesoarchaean shallow oceans"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Nature_Geoscience" title="Nature Geoscience">Nature Geoscience</a></i>. <b>11</b> (2): 133–138. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41561-017-0036-x">10.1038/s41561-017-0036-x</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:135023426">135023426</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">28 December</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Nature+Geoscience&rft.atitle=Isotopic+evidence+for+oxygenated+Mesoarchaean+shallow+oceans&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=133-138&rft.date=2018-01-15&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1038%2Fs41561-017-0036-x&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A135023426%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Eickmann&rft.aufirst=Benjamin&rft.au=Hofmann%2C+Axel&rft.au=Wille%2C+Martin&rft.au=Bui%2C+Thi+Hao&rft.au=Wing%2C+Boswell+A.&rft.au=Schoenberg%2C+Ronny&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41561-017-0036-x%3Ferror%3Dcookies_not_supported%26code%3D54e99c94-9890-439d-a813-c26d056ce863&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMesoarchean" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span 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href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Ice_ages" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background:#bbab85;;background:#abaa75;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Ice_ages" title="Template:Ice ages"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Ice_ages" title="Template talk:Ice ages"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a 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<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Antarctica" title="Antarctica">Antarctica</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greenland_ice_sheet" title="Greenland ice sheet">Greenland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Penultimate_Glacial_Period" title="Penultimate Glacial Period">Penultimate Glacial Period</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Last_Glacial_Period" title="Last Glacial Period">Last Glacial Period</a> (<a href="/wiki/Last_Glacial_Maximum" title="Last Glacial Maximum">Last Glacial Maximum</a>, <a href="/wiki/Older_Dryas" title="Older Dryas">Older</a> and <a href="/wiki/Younger_Dryas" title="Younger Dryas">Younger Dryas</a>)</li> <li>1st: <a href="/wiki/W%C3%BCrm_glaciation" title="Würm glaciation">Würm</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wisconsin_glaciation" title="Wisconsin glaciation">Wisconsin</a>, <a href="/wiki/Weichselian_glaciation" title="Weichselian glaciation">Weichselian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Devensian_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Devensian glaciation">Devensian</a>/<a href="/w/index.php?title=Midlandian_glaciation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Midlandian glaciation (page does not exist)">Midlandian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pinedale_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Pinedale glaciation">Pinedale</a>/<a href="/wiki/Fraser_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Fraser glaciation">Fraser</a>, <a href="/wiki/Merida_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Merida glaciation">Merida</a>, <a href="/wiki/Llanquihue_glaciation" title="Llanquihue glaciation">Llanquihue</a></li> <li>2nd: <a href="/wiki/Riss_glaciation" title="Riss glaciation">Riss</a>, <a href="/wiki/Illinoian_(stage)" title="Illinoian (stage)">Illinoian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Saale_glaciation" title="Saale glaciation">Saale</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wolstonian_Stage" title="Wolstonian Stage">Wolstonian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Santa María glaciation">Santa María</a></li> <li>3rd–6th: <a href="/wiki/Mindel_glaciation" title="Mindel glaciation">Mindel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pre-Illinoian" title="Pre-Illinoian">Pre-Illinoian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Elster_glaciation" title="Elster glaciation">Elster</a>, <a href="/wiki/Anglian_stage" title="Anglian stage">Anglian</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Rio_Llico_glaciation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rio Llico glaciation (page does not exist)">Rio Llico</a></li> <li>7th–8th: <a href="/wiki/Gunz_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Gunz glaciation">Günz</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pre-Illinoian" title="Pre-Illinoian">Pre-Illinoian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Elbe_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Elbe glaciation">Elbe</a> or <a href="/wiki/Menapian_glaciation" class="mw-redirect" title="Menapian glaciation">Menapian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Beestonian_stage" title="Beestonian stage">Beestonian</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Caracol_glaciation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Caracol glaciation (page does not exist)">Caracol</a> (2.5 to 0 Mya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Pliocene" title="Pliocene">Pliocene</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Miocene" title="Miocene">Miocene</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Oligocene" title="Oligocene">Oligocene</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Late_Cenozoic_Ice_Age" title="Late Cenozoic Ice Age">Antarctic</a> (34 to 2.5 Mya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Paleozoic" title="Paleozoic">Paleozoic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hirnantian_glaciation" title="Hirnantian glaciation">Hirnantian</a> (460 Mya to 430 Mya)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Late_Paleozoic_icehouse" title="Late Paleozoic icehouse">Late Paleozoic icehouse</a> (360 Mya to 260 Mya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Ediacaran" title="Ediacaran">Ediacaran</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Gaskiers_glaciation" title="Gaskiers glaciation">Gaskiers</a> (579.88 to 579.63 Mya)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Baykonurian_glaciation" title="Baykonurian glaciation">Baykonurian</a> (547 to 541.5 Mya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Cryogenian" title="Cryogenian">Cryogenian</a>-<a href="/wiki/Snowball_Earth" title="Snowball Earth">Snowball Earth</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sturtian_glaciation" title="Sturtian glaciation">Sturtian</a> (717 to 660 Mya); <a href="/wiki/Marinoan_glaciation" title="Marinoan glaciation">Marinoan</a> (650 to 635 Mya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Paleoproterozoic" title="Paleoproterozoic">Paleoproterozoic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Huronian_glaciation" title="Huronian glaciation">Huronian</a> (2.4 to 2.1 Gya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mesoarchean</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pongola_glaciation" title="Pongola glaciation">Pongola</a> (2.9 to 2.78 Gya)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#bbab85;;width:1%">Related topics</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Glacial_period" title="Glacial period">Glacial period</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greenhouse_and_icehouse_Earth" title="Greenhouse and icehouse Earth">Greenhouse and icehouse Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_Oxidation_Event" title="Great Oxidation Event">Great Oxidation Event</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Little_Ice_Age" title="Little Ice Age">Little Ice Age</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Snowball_Earth" title="Snowball Earth">Snowball Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interglacial" title="Interglacial">Interglacial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles" title="Milankovitch cycles">Milankovitch cycles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stadial" class="mw-redirect" title="Stadial">Stadial</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="background:#bbab85;"><div><b><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_glaciation" title="Timeline of glaciation">Timeline of glaciation</a></b></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r886047488">.mw-parser-output .nobold{font-weight:normal}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886047488"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886047488"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886047488"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886047488"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886047488"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Geological_history_of_Earth" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Geological_history_of_Earth" title="Template:Geological history of Earth"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Geological_history_of_Earth" title="Template talk:Geological history of Earth"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Geological_history_of_Earth" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Geological history of Earth"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Geological_history_of_Earth" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Geological_history_of_Earth" title="Geological history of Earth">Geological history of Earth</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Cenozoic" title="Cenozoic">Cenozoic Era<br /><span class="nobold">(present–66.0 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Quaternary" title="Quaternary">Quaternary <span class="nobold">(present–2.58 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Holocene" title="Holocene">Holocene (present–11.7 ka)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pleistocene" title="Pleistocene">Pleistocene (11.7 ka–2.58 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Neogene" title="Neogene">Neogene <span class="nobold">(2.58–23.0 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pliocene" title="Pliocene">Pliocene (2.59–5.33 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Miocene" title="Miocene">Miocene (5.33–23.0 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Paleogene" title="Paleogene">Paleogene <span class="nobold">(23.0–66.0 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Oligocene" title="Oligocene">Oligocene (23.0–33.9 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eocene" title="Eocene">Eocene (33.9–56.0 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paleocene" title="Paleocene">Paleocene (56.0–66.0 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Mesozoic" title="Mesozoic">Mesozoic Era<br /><span class="nobold">(66.0–252 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Cretaceous" title="Cretaceous">Cretaceous <span class="nobold">(66.0–145 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Late_Cretaceous" title="Late Cretaceous">Late (66.0–100 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_Cretaceous" title="Early Cretaceous">Early (100–145 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Jurassic" title="Jurassic">Jurassic <span class="nobold">(145–201 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Late_Jurassic" title="Late Jurassic">Late (145–164 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Middle_Jurassic" title="Middle Jurassic">Middle (164–174 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_Jurassic" title="Early Jurassic">Early (174–201 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Triassic" title="Triassic">Triassic <span class="nobold">(201–252 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Late_Triassic" title="Late Triassic">Late (201–237 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Middle_Triassic" title="Middle Triassic">Middle (237–247 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_Triassic" title="Early Triassic">Early (247–252 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Paleozoic" title="Paleozoic">Paleozoic Era<br /><span class="nobold">(252–539 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Permian" title="Permian">Permian <span class="nobold">(252–299 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lopingian" title="Lopingian">Lopingian (252–260 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guadalupian" title="Guadalupian">Guadalupian (260–272 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cisuralian" title="Cisuralian">Cisuralian (272–299 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Carboniferous" title="Carboniferous">Carboniferous <span class="nobold">(299–359 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pennsylvanian_(geology)" title="Pennsylvanian (geology)">Pennsylvanian (299–323 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mississippian_(geology)" title="Mississippian (geology)">Mississippian (323–359 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Devonian" title="Devonian">Devonian <span class="nobold">(359–419 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Late_Devonian" class="mw-redirect" title="Late Devonian">Late (359–383 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Middle_Devonian" title="Middle Devonian">Middle (383–393 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_Devonian" title="Early Devonian">Early (393–419 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Silurian" title="Silurian">Silurian <span class="nobold">(419–444 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pridoli_Epoch" title="Pridoli Epoch">Pridoli (419–423 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ludlow_Epoch" title="Ludlow Epoch">Ludlow (423–427 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wenlock_Epoch" title="Wenlock Epoch">Wenlock (427–433 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Llandovery_Epoch" title="Llandovery Epoch">Llandovery (433–444 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Ordovician" title="Ordovician">Ordovician <span class="nobold">(444–485 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Late_Ordovician" title="Late Ordovician">Late (444–458 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Middle_Ordovician" class="mw-redirect" title="Middle Ordovician">Middle (458–470 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_Ordovician" title="Early Ordovician">Early (470–485 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Cambrian" title="Cambrian">Cambrian <span class="nobold">(485–539 Ma)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Furongian" title="Furongian">Furongian (485–497 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Miaolingian" title="Miaolingian">Miaolingian (497–509 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cambrian_Series_2" title="Cambrian Series 2">Series 2 (509–521 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Terreneuvian" title="Terreneuvian">Terreneuvian (521–539 Ma)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Proterozoic" title="Proterozoic">Proterozoic Eon<br /><span class="nobold">(539 Ma–2.5 Ga)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Neoproterozoic" title="Neoproterozoic">Neoproterozoic <span class="nobold">(539 Ma–1 Ga)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ediacaran" title="Ediacaran">Ediacaran (539–635 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cryogenian" title="Cryogenian">Cryogenian (635–720 Ma)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tonian" title="Tonian">Tonian (720 Ma–1 Ga)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Mesoproterozoic" title="Mesoproterozoic">Mesoproterozoic <span class="nobold">(1–1.6 Ga)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Stenian" title="Stenian">Stenian (1–1.2 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ectasian" title="Ectasian">Ectasian (1.2–1.4 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Calymmian" title="Calymmian">Calymmian (1.4–1.6 Ga)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:26ch"><a href="/wiki/Paleoproterozoic" title="Paleoproterozoic">Paleoproterozoic <span class="nobold">(1.6–2.5 Ga)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Statherian" title="Statherian">Statherian (1.6–1.8 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Orosirian" title="Orosirian">Orosirian (1.8–2.05 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rhyacian" title="Rhyacian">Rhyacian (2.05–2.3 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siderian" title="Siderian">Siderian (2.3–2.5 Ga)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Archean" title="Archean">Archean Eon <span class="nobold">(2.5–4 Ga)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Neoarchean" title="Neoarchean">Neoarchean (2.5–2.8 Ga)</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mesoarchean (2.8–3.2 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paleoarchean" title="Paleoarchean">Paleoarchean (3.2–3.6 Ga)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eoarchean" title="Eoarchean">Eoarchean (3.6–4 Ga)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Hadean" title="Hadean">Hadean Eon <span class="nobold">(4–4.6 Ga)</span></a></th><td 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