Paleozoic Era

Part of the Phanerozoic Eon

Neoproterozoic Era - Paleozoic Era - Mesozoic Era

The Paleozoic Era is the first era of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Paleozoic begins with the End-Ediacaran extinction event and the first appearance of trilobites, and ends with the Permian-Triassic extinction event. The larger continent of Gondwana formed during the Paleozoic, but by the end of the era, Earth's land would be dominated by the supercontinent of Pangaea that would survive into the Mesozoic. The majority of the Paleozoic saw "greenhouse effect" conditions that would be interrupted only by the Early Paleozoic Icehouse that included the Hirantian glaciation.

Plants evolved during the Paleozoic, assuming they had not already evolved in the Neoproterozoic Era. Most scientists would agree that when the Paleozoic began, all multicellular life was aquatic, though some recent studies - that have met great criticism and fierce opposition - suggest that life may actually have originated on land. However, assuming multicellular life was of aquatic origins, it was able to adapt to land and evolve into great rainforests and diverse animal life during this era. Several phyla of invertebrates would evolve during this era. Fish were among the first vertebrates to evolve, and would be followed by amphibians and reptiles, including the archosauriform lineage that would later give rise to crocodilians, dinosaurs (including birds) and pterosaurs. Arthropods were among the invertebrates to evolve in the Paleozoic, and became the first animal group to venture onto land.

The Paleozoic is subdivided into six periods: the Cambrian, the Ordovician, the Silurian, the Devonian, the Carboniferous, and the Permian.

Paleozoic Timescale:

Paleozoic Era - 541-251.902 MYA

-Cambrian Period - 541-485.4 MYA

--Terreneuvian Epoch - 541-520 MYA

--Cambrian Epoch 2 - 520-509 MYA

--Miaolingian Epoch - 509-497 MYA

--Furongian Epoch - 497-485.4 MYA

-Ordovician Period - 485.4-443.8 MYA

--Early Ordovician Epoch - 485.4-470 MYA

--Middle Ordovician Epoch - 470-458.4 MYA

--Late Ordovician Epoch - 458.4-443.8 MYA

-Silurian Period - 443.8-419.2 MYA

--Llandovery Epoch - 443.8-433.4 MYA

--Wenlock Epoch - 433.4-427.4 MYA

--Ludlow Epoch - 427.4-423 MYA

--Pridoli Epoch - 423-419.2 MYA

-Devonian Period - 419.2-358.9 MYA

--Early Devonian Epoch - 419.2-393.3 MYA

--Middle Devonian Epoch - 393.3-382.7 MYA

--Late Devonian Epoch - 382.7-358.9 MYA

-Carboniferous Period - 358.9-298.9 MYA

--Mississippian Subperiod - 358.9-323.2 MYA

---Early Mississippian Epoch - 358.9-346.7 MYA

---Middle Mississippian Epoch - 346.7-330.9 MYA

---Late Mississippian Epoch - 330.9-323.2 MYA

--Pennsylvanian Subperiod - 323.2-298.9 MYA

---Early Pennsylvanian Epoch - 323.2-314.6 MYA

---Middle Pennsylvanian Epoch - 314.6-306.7 MYA

---Late Pennsylvanian Epoch - 306.7-298.9 MYA

-Permian Period - 298.9-251.902 MYA

--Cisuralian Epoch - 298.9-272.3 MYA

--Guadalupian Epoch - 272.3-258.5 MYA

--Lopingian Epoch - 258.5-251.902 MYA