Evidence of Middle to Late Proterozoic Life in the Greenland and Canada

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Evidence of microbial or life
Tectonics, uplifting and rifting
Results
Discussion
Conclusions
List References

Abstract

The Proterozoic era is the major event in the geological formation of Canada and Greenland. During the middle and late Proterozoic era, there were several geological formations of the landmass that gave rise to some landforms in Greenland and Canada. Evidence has shown that despite the short presence of oxygen, there was still evidence of life that showed the availability of some micro-organisms and other small animals. This paper examines the evidence of life in the middle to late Proterozoic era in Canada and Greenland. The research discusses the overall geography of the areas and the evidence of life is discussed. The Tectonics, uplifting and rifting is also examined during the middle and late Proterozoic. The research contributes to the greater understanding of evidence of life in the middle and late Proterozoic eras in Greenland and Canada.

Introduction

The Proterozoic era was the early historic period that started between 2.5 billion years ago and ended 543 million years ago. In the era of the Proterozoic, there was the occurrence of several exciting events that made the time to be unique in the geologic formation of earth’s surface. Meanwhile, during this era at about billions of years ago, there were abundant fossils that showed evidence of living organisms in the stable continent that first appeared about billions of years ago. Hofmann, (1994).

Setting the areas

The middle and the late Proterozoic (Figure 1) cover part of North-West Greenland at latitudes 75°15’N and 78°N and longitudes 57°W and 73°W (marked red), a region with appreciable ice cover. The Baffin Bay lied across Canada. Dawes, (2006).

Figure 1. Greenland.

The Proterozoic Greenland was situated in the southern hemisphere at the present north-eastern corner of North American. In addition, Proterozoic middle to late Ordovician age was located in the N-S trending basin, in which were found the most important element of the Proterozoic. Additionally, in the North-East Proterozoic Greenland was present in the Caledonian fold belt and within Caledonian nappe sheets, which include Independence Fjord Group and Zig-Zag Dal Basal formation. Henriksen, Higgins (1998).

In Canada and Greenland, there is evidence of a mass of Mid-Proterozoic rocks (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Canada.

Thus, the rocks found in this era are largely moderately metamorphosed supracrustal rocks and plutonic granites. In addition, there are evidence of ironstones, terrigenous sediments, and thick pelite. The occurrence life of appear in the Mid-Proterozoic with the activity of biogenic photosynthetic that had increased the level to oxygen to approximately 4 percent of present atmospheric level, which to the appearance of earliest eukaryotic organisms. Hancock, Skinner (2000).

Evidence of microbial or life

In the middle to late Proterozoic of Greenland and Canada, there was evidence of bacteria and alga, which showed the major life activity in the era. Science Encyclopedias (2009). There was also record of presence of fungal called Tappania plana, which has similar characteristics with Neoproterozoic microfossils were found in the arctic of Canada. Knoll, Javaux, Hewitt, et al (2006).

In the mid-Proterozoic rocks, there was evidence of micro-fossil which is similar to eukaryotic with average size of 50μm. Typically, there was wide presence of spheroidal microfossils. The detailed examination had been revealed to have walls with complex ultrastructure that best described eukaryotes. Knoll, Javaux, Hewitt, et al (2006).

The Eukaryotes can be classified as animals, plant, and fungi. These species showed diversity in form, however there was fundamental similarity in cell formation, biochemistry and molecular biology. University of California (2008). Thus, it could be postulated that in the middle and late Proterozoic , there were evidence of Proterozoic rocks that preserve moderate variety of eukaryotic organisms. Knoll, Javaux, Hewitt, et al (2006).

Additionally, geological evidence revealed that there were occurrence of fossils in the middle to late Proterozoic that coenocytic to multicellular filaments whose morphologies and dimensions suggest eukaryotic origin.

Although, during the middle Proterozoic era, there were less gravity, which gave rise to insufficient oxygen and carbon dioxide to process the gaseous air. There was also no availability of water to aid reproduction and nutrients were not dissolved for the availability of nutrient for the organism to get food. Despite this level of difficulties, several organisms used different means to adapt to the environmental situations. For example, Plants such as vascular plant made used of tubes presence in its body to transport nutrients to all over its body mass. The primitive plant that available then developed strategy to transmit sex cell via surface water. University of Maryland (2008).

Toward the late Proterozoic and the end of the late Proterozoic era, there were varios type of organism and small animals such as terrestrial invertebrates like snails, and terrestrial vertebrates, such as the Tetrapod, which was not true amphibian but resemble amphibian because it needed water to breath. There were also carboniferous stegocephalians, which were mostly fish eaters. Sometimes; they ate other small stegocephalians to survive. University of Maryland (2008).

Toward the end of late Proterozoic era, there were large number of organisms that extinct due one harsh condition or the other. Some of the organisms extinct were: Trilobites, most primitive therapsids, most brachiopod clades, Rugose and tabulate corals, Lacy and stony bryozoans, Graptolites, Fusulinids and nearly all few species of ammonoids (University of Maryland, 2008).

Tectonics, uplifting and rifting

Tectonics reveals the theory of geological changes as a result of lithospheric movement of molten, ductile and upper portion of the earth surface. Typically, there is geological evidence that the tectonics plate move with contact among plates directly or indirectly. This has been noted to account for the major geological features in the earth surface.

There was evidence of geological tectonic in the Eastern Coastal part of Canada. With this Tectonic formation the North America with some major part of Canada and Greenland were separated from Africa because of rift, which heated the continental crust and lithosphere in the several million years ago. Louden (nd).

Thus, in the middle to the late Proterozoic was the period of tectonic activity in the Canada and Greenland, where there was extensive metamorphism of rocks. There was occurrence of faulting, mafic igneous activity. Additionally, there was occurrence of large-scale occurrence of rifting in the Northern part of Canada. Geocities (nd).

Typically, the geological history of Canada and Greenland has been responsible by Tectonics forces, which modify the shape of the landmass. The middle to late Proterozoic, there was continental collision and between 30% and 40% of Canada and Greenland joined the continent in the Proterozoic. World of Earth Science, (2002).

Nevertheless, Sherman et al argue that the Tectonic regime of middle to late tectonic evolution is not well understood. The late sedimentary rock formation created by the rift not entirely records the subsequent history of the tectonic evidence in the middle to late Proterozoic era. However, there was still evidence of rifting of Arctic Archipelago of Canada and North West in Greenland of Canada (Queen University (2008).

Results

The research has been able to reveal that the beginning of the Middle to the late Proterozoic era shows evidence of oxygen in the atmosphere that lead to the formation of some organism. However, there were extinction of many bacteria due to the insufficient oxygen and sometimes by harsh conditions and this had given life to increase in the formation of eukaryotic forms. These eukaryotic forms include multicellular algae. However, there was appearance of the fist and Proterozoic animals toward the end of the late Proterozoic era. University of California (2008).

Moreover, widespread glaciations occurred during the middle to late Protrusion era in the Greenland and Canada, where between 750-850 Ma, there were widespread of glaciations due to continental rift that gave rise to superglaciation. University of Maryland (2008).

Discussion

Proterozoic era has been known to be birth of modern geology where there was appearance of some of the oldest formation had occurred such as Great Lakes region, Canada. The occurrence had seen the evidence of granites intrusive into granitoid-greenstone complex in Superior Province of Canada. University of Maryland (2008). There wee also evidence of 1.8 Ga Laurentia at the core of Canada and Greenland.

Conclusions

The paper has been able to present the Proterozoic era in the Canada and the Greenland. There were several occurrences that happened in the middle and late Proterozoic in the Greenland and Canada that led to the formation of several continental landforms as it is today.

Additionally, during this era, there was evidence of life that showed the presence of organisms. The presence of organisms had been clearly developed towards the end of late Proterozoic. Although, the paper has been able to reveal that, there were several organisms extinct towards the late period of Proterozoic.

List References

Dawes, R (2006), Explanatory notes to the Geological map of Greenland, 1:500000, Thule, Sheet , Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.

Geocities (nd), Precambrian Crustal Evolution and Tectonics.

Hancock, P, Skinner, B ( 2000), Proterozoic, The Oxford Companion to the Earth.

Henriksen, N, Higgins, A, K , (1998), Early Palaeozoic Basin Development of North Greenland Part of the Franklinian Basin, Polarforschung 68: 131 -140.

Hofmann, H.J. (1994), Proterozoic carbonaceous compressions (“metaphytes” and “worms”). Pp. 342-357. In: Bengtson, S. (ed.) Early Life on Earth. Columbia University Press, New York.

Knoll, A, H, Javaux, E, J , Hewitt, D, et al (2006), Eukaryotic organisms in Proterozoic oceans, Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2006; 361(1470): 1023–1038.

Louden , K , (nd), TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THEEAST COAST OF CANADA, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Queen University (2008), Evidence for reversal of basin polarity during. carbonate ramp development in the Mesoproterozoic. Borden Basin, Baffin Island, Department of Geological science. Ontarion.

Science Encyclopedias (2009), North America – North America In The Proterozoic Eon, Net Industries.

University of California (2008), Introduction to the Eukaryota, Museum of Palentology.

University of Maryland (2008), The Middle Paleozoic Era II: The Conquest of Land, University of Maryland, Department of Geology.

World of Earth Science, (2002), NORTH AMERICA, Thomson Gale, a part of The Thomson Corporation.

Evidence for reversal of basin polarity during. carbonate ramp development in the Mesoproterozoic. Borden Basin, Baffin Island.

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