Paleontology and geologyThe majority of rocks in Quebec are Precambrian in age. These igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks belong to the Canadian Shield. They record millions of years of continental collisions and break ups, as well as pieces of ancient islands, oceanic crust, and shallow to deep marine environments. The rocks are divided into geologic provinces based on their shared histories. The 4.28 Ga volcanic rocks in the Superior Province are some of the oldest rocks on the surface of the Earth. Many of the igneous and metamorphic rocks are mined for minerals or precious metals and gems. And fossils of stromatolites are found in some of the sedimentary rocks found around the province. At the end of the Precambrian, Laurentia was near the equator, and Quebec was at the southern margin of the continent, separated from the other continents by the widening Iapetus Ocean.
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