The primordial sea, or primordial ocean, is a term applied collectively to the oceans of the earth at a time early in its history. The term generally implies either the time before or during the development of multi-cellular life forms (i.e., during the Precambrian), or alternatively before the development of the first land-based life forms (i.e. during the early Paleozoic).
The term primordial ooze is often invoked to imply the primordial sea in a more metaphorical or poetic sense. The primordial soup, or prebiotic soup, refers to a particular set of models of the origin of life, but may also be used in a metaphorical sense.
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