The Proterozoic, or the Age of First Life, encompasses most of the history of earth, from the time of the oldest preserved fossils to the Cambrian explosion. In general, the fossil organisms are less complex than those found later in life, and the preserved ecosystems are also simpler than later life assemblages. Such economically important deposits as the various Banded Iron formations, and biologically important deposits as the first stromatolites, are Proterozoic in age.
Sites 4
- Ediacara Hills Australian PreCambrian fossils.
- Ediacaran Fossils of Canada An introduction (with a map and photos) to the Ediacaran fossils of Canada.
- South Australian Museum Home for many Ediacaran fossils
- The Proterozoic Era An overview of the era from the UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology.