Zirconian Era

Chaotian Era - Zirconian Era - Paleoarchean Era

The Zirconian Era is the second, and final, era of the Hadean Eon. The Zirconian begins at the time from which the planet's oldest known crustal material - detrital zircons - are known, and ends at the time from which the planet's oldest known rocks - Acasta Gneiss - are known. During the Zirconian, the planet's crust solidified, and the atmosphere and first oceans formed, after extreme conditions characterized the Chaotian. Later in the era, the first primitive life may have formed, and may actually have gone extinct during the Late Heavy Bombardment. If this is the case, the life may have evolved twice - once in the Zirconian, and once later in the Archean Eon (not to mention potential advanced life from the Preuniversal Eon), and if it is not, then modern life's most distant ancestors may be much older than previously thought. The Bombardment would rage on well into the Archean Eon. Prior to the bombardment, other major events would occur, including the formation of the first continents and rapid movement of tectonic plates - the first of which were significantly smaller than those that exist today.

The Zirconian is subdivided into three periods: the Jacobian, the Canadian, and the Procrustean.

Zirconian Timescale:

Zirconian Era - 4404-4030 MYA

-Jacobian Period - 4404-4280 MYA

-Canadian Period - 4280-4200 MYA

-Procrustean Period - 4200-4030 MYA