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The Precambrian in Alberta, Canada

Precambrian in Alberta map

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Precambrian

Precambrian Fossils

No slide show is available for the Precambrian in Alberta.

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Paleontology and geology

During the Precambrian, about 1.85 Ga, several smaller pieces of land came together to form the early North American continent (Laurentia). The collisions that brought them together pushed oceanic rocks up onto the surface and created large mountain ranges. Some of these ancient continental and oceanic rocks are exposed in the northeastern corner of Alberta, while the rest form a basement below younger rocks. Alberta was near the edge of the continent, and sediments eroding off the land were deposited in shallow seas. Sandstones, conglomerates, and mudstones south of Lake Athabasca were deposited 1.7-1.6 Ma in rivers, deltas, and shallow marine environments along the coast. The sandstones and limestones deposited in the west over British Columbia, were pushed together and to the northeast as the Rocky Mountains formed. As a result, these shallow to deep marine deposits, some of which contain algal fossils, can be found in the mountains in southwestern Alberta.

Links to more on the Precambrian in Alberta

Education and Exhibits

Education and Exhibits

Virtual Exhibits (showing 1 of 1 listings)

The Dawn of Animal Life: While most people know of the dinosaurs from a mere 70 million years ago, very few are aware that the Earth's fossil record stretches over 3 billion years into the past. Using exclusively Canadian rocks and fossils, this exhibit highlights almost three billion years of early evolution when only simple, soft-bodied creatures inhabited the Earth.

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