Precambrian · 4,600 – 538.8 Ma
Precambrian fossil sites
The Precambrian covers the first 4 billion years of Earth's history, from the planet's formation through to the dawn of complex animal life. Most Precambrian fossils are stromatolites, layered mineral structures built by microbial communities in shallow seas. A handful of Ediacaran sites (565–541 Ma) preserve the world's oldest macroscopic multicellular organisms.
Fossils typical of this period: stromatolites, banded iron formations, Ediacaran biota (Dickinsonia, Charnia, Spriggina), acritarchs.
1 fossil site
