▁strat ig raph ic ▁record ▁and ▁be ▁dem arc ated ▁by ▁G SS P s . ▁The ▁P rec amb rian ▁could ▁be ▁divided ▁into ▁five ▁" natural " ▁e ons , ▁character ized ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁Acc ret ion ▁and ▁different iation : ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁planet ary ▁formation ▁until ▁giant ▁Moon - form ing ▁impact ▁event . ▁ ▁H ade an : ▁domin ated ▁by ▁heavy ▁bomb ard ment ▁from ▁about ▁ 4 . 5 1 ▁Ga ▁( poss ibly ▁including ▁a ▁C ool ▁Early ▁Earth ▁period ) ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Late ▁He avy ▁Bomb ard ment ▁period . ▁ ▁Ar che an : ▁a ▁period ▁defined ▁by ▁the ▁first ▁cr ust al ▁form ations ▁( the ▁Is ua ▁green stone ▁bel t ) ▁until ▁the ▁de position ▁of ▁band ed ▁iron ▁form ations ▁due ▁to ▁increasing ▁atmos pher ic ▁o xygen ▁content . ▁ ▁Trans ition : ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁continued ▁iron ▁band ed ▁formation ▁until ▁the ▁first ▁contin ental ▁red ▁b eds . ▁ ▁Pro ter oz o ic : ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁modern ▁plate ▁t ect on ics ▁until ▁the ▁first ▁animals . ▁ ▁P rec amb rian ▁super cont in ents ▁The ▁movement ▁of ▁Earth ' s ▁pl ates ▁has ▁caused ▁the ▁formation ▁and ▁break - up ▁of ▁contin ents ▁over ▁time , ▁including ▁occas ional ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁super cont inent ▁containing ▁most ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁land mass . ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁super cont inent ▁was ▁Va al bara . ▁It ▁formed