The Precambrian in Southeast region, Mexico

Paleontology and geology

In the Southeastern Region of Mexico, Precambrian rocks form a basement under younger rocks throughout the region and outcrop in a few places in the south. These metamorphic and igneous rocks date back to 1.0 Ga, recording the presence of ancient volcanic islands, mountain ranges, and ocean deposits. The Yucatan Peninsula and the western part of this region were separate pieces of land, but both formed along the northern margin of ancient South America (then part of the continent of Gondwana), well south of, and across an ocean from, ancient North America (Laurentia). Subsequent tectonic plate movement brought them to their present locations.