The Proterozoic is a Precambrian eon of geologic time extending from about 2.5 billion to 541 million years ago, bounded by the Archean–Proterozoic and Proterozoic–Phanerozoic transitions. It is formally subdivided into the Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Neoproterozoic eras. The Proterozoic record is characterized by stabilization and growth of continental cratons, widespread deposition of platformal sedimentary sequences, major orogenic cycles, large-scale mantle and crustal differentiation, and multiple global glaciation events. Biologically and geochemically, it encompasses progressive atmospheric oxygenation, diversification of prokaryotic life, emergence and early radiation of eukaryotes, and appearance of the earliest macroscopic multicellular organisms.
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