Mesoproterozoic

Mesoproterozoic
1600 – 1000 Ma
Banded fine-grained pyrite found in the Urquhart Shale, Australia
Chronology
Proposed redefinition(s)1780–850 Ma
Gradstein et al., 2012
Proposed subdivisionsRodinian Period, 1780–850 Ma
Gradstein et al., 2012
Etymology
Name formalityFormal
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth
Regional usageGlobal (ICS)
Time scale(s) usedICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unitEra
Stratigraphic unitErathem
Time span formalityFormal
Lower boundary definitionDefined Chronometrically
Lower GSSA ratified1991[1]
Upper boundary definitionDefined Chronometrically
Upper GSSA ratified1991[1]

The Mesoproterozoic Era[4] is a geologic era that occurred from 1,600 to 1,000 million years ago. The Mesoproterozoic was the first era of Earth's history for which a fairly definitive geological record survives. Continents existed during the preceding era (the Paleoproterozoic), but little is known about them. The continental masses of the Mesoproterozoic were more or less the same ones that exist today, although their arrangement on the Earth's surface was different.

  1. ^ a b Plumb, K. A. (June 1, 1991). "New Precambrian time scale". Episodes. 14 (2): 139–140. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/1991/v14i2/005.
  2. ^ "Meso". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  3. ^ "Proterozoic". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  4. ^ There are several ways of pronouncing Mesoproterozoic, including IPA: /ˌmɛzəˌprtərəˈzɪk, ˌmɛz-, ˌmɛs-, ˌmz-, ˌm.s-, -ˌprɒt-, -ər-, -trə-, -tr-/ MEZ-ə-PROH-tər-ə-ZOH-ik, MEZ-oh-, MESS-, MEE-z-, MEE-s-, -⁠PROT-, -⁠ər-oh-, -⁠trə-, -⁠troh-.[2][3]