When did Precambrian time begin and end?

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Precambrian time began approximately 4.6 billion years ago, marking the formation of Earth, and ended 541 million years ago at the beginning of the Cambrian Period.1

This vast interval, which represents more than 80 percent of the total geologic time record, is formally divided into the Archean Eon (roughly 4.0 to 2.5 billion years ago) and the Proterozoic Eon (2.5 billion to 541 million years ago). Additionally, the Hadean Eon is recognized as an informal interval spanning from 4.6 billion to 4 billion years ago.12