Eons: The World Before Plate Tectonics

9 minutes 24 seconds

Now Playing As: Captioned (English) (change)

Long before evolution on Earth kicked in with a vengeance, it seemed to stall completely. From 1.7 billion years ago, for a billion boring years, Earth remained a slimy, near-static world of algae and microbes. But the fact is, this period was anything but boring. In fact, it set the stage for the modern version of plate tectonics. Part of "Eons" series.

Media Details

Runtime: 9 minutes 24 seconds

Topic: Geography, Science
Subtopic: Earth Sciences, Geology, World Geography
Grade/Interest Level: 10 - 12
Release Year: 2020
Producer/Distributor: PBS Digital Studios
Series: Eons

A Wooly Rhino is grazing on the slope of a mountain.

Still image from: Eons: The Hellacious Lives of the "Hell Pigs"

A group of four legged terrestrial creatures. Caption: Synapsids.

A pair of Ichthyosaurs hunting prey in the sea.

Still image from: Eons: When We Met Other Human Species

Still image from: Eons: How Volcanoes Froze the Earth (Twice)

Still image from: Eons: How Earth's First, Unkillable Animals Saved the World

A giant deer roams a grassland.

An illustration depicts the dinosaur, Coelophysis, with new born Coelophysis in between its beak.

A painting depicts scientists comparing Piltdown Man's remains to other species. Charles Dawson and Sir Arthur Smith Woodward are seen standing together.