Comparison of late Precambrian plutonic rocks in three parts of the Avalon terrane of the northern Appalachian orogen (the Caledonia terrane in southern NewBrunswick, the Mira terrane of southeastern Cape Breton Island, and the type area of the Avalon terrane in eastern Newfoundland) shows that ca. 620 Ma plutonic rocks and voluminous coeval volcanic rocks occur in all three areas. The ca. 620 Ma plutonic rocks range from gabbro and diorite to granite, and have petrochemical features indicative of origin in continental margin volcanic arcs. Remnants of older, ca. 680 Ma, arc complexes occur in the western part of the Newfoundland Avalon terrane and in the Mira terrane, although granitoid plutonic rocks of that age are preserved only in the former area. Younger, ca. 580-550 Ma, plutonic rocks occur in all three areas but differ in petrological features and apparent tectonic setting: (1) in the Caledonia terrane, ca. 560-550 Ma bimodal granitic-dioritic and/or gabbroic plutons are a major component, and apparently formed during major extension within the former ca. 620 Ma arc; (2) in the Mira terrane granitic plutons have ages of ca. 575 Ma, and formed in association with a ca. 575-560(?) Ma volcanic arc; (3) in the central part of the Newfoundland Avalon terrane, arc-related plutonic and volcanic rocks of ca. 580-560 Ma age may also be widespread, but their ages are poorly constrained. Bimodal, dominantly alkaline to peralkaline ca. 570 Ma and ca. 550 Ma plutonic suites are also present in Newfoundland, but do not appear to be present in either the Mira or Caledonia terranes.