The Precambrian in Northeast region, Mexico

Paleontology and geology

In the Northeastern Region of Mexico, Precambrian rocks outcrop in a few places and form a basement under many younger rocks. These metamorphic and igneous rocks date back to 1.0 Ga, preserving a record of ancient volcanic islands, mountain ranges, and ocean deposits. They formed alongside the northern part of ancient South America (then part of Gondwana) across a large ocean from ancient North America (Laurentia). Tectonic plate motion and collisions brought them to their present location as part of Mexico. These rocks are exposed in a few areas in the Sierra Madre Oriental.