Jan 10, 2025 · Paleozoic Era, major interval of geologic time that began 538.8 million years ago with the Cambrian explosion, an extraordinary diversification of marine animals, and ended about 252 million years ago with the end-Permian extinction, the greatest extinction event in …

The Paleozoic was a time of dramatic geological, climatic, and evolutionary change. The Cambrian witnessed the most rapid and widespread diversification of life in Earth's history, known as the Cambrian explosion , in which most modern phyla first appeared.

Paleozoic (541-252 million years ago) means ‘ancient life.’ The oldest animals on Earth appeared just before the start of this era in the Ediacaran Period, but scientists had not yet discovered them when the geologic timescale was made.

The Paleozoic is bracketed by two of the most important events in the history of animal life. At its beginning, multicelled animals underwent a dramatic "explosion" in diversity, and almost all living animal phyla appeared within a few millions of years.

Jun 20, 2013 · The Paleozoic Era, which ran from 541 million to 251.9 million years ago, was a time of great change on Earth. The era began with the breakup of one supercontinent and the formation of...

Paleozoic Era, or Palaeozoic Era, Major interval of geologic time, c. 542–251 million years ago. From the Greek for “ancient life,” it is the first era of the Phanerozoic Eon and is followed by the Mesozoic Era.

Jul 5, 2023 · In North America, the Paleozoic is characterized by multiple advances and retreats of shallow seas and repeated continental collisions that formed the Appalachian Mountains. Common Paleozoic fossils include trilobites and cephalopods, as well as insects and ferns.

Noted as a time of dramatic evolutionary, climate and geological change, the Paleozoic Era lasted between 541 to 251.902 million years ago. This Era is so diverse and lengthy that it has been further subdivided into six unique geologic periods ranging from the oldest to the youngest.

May 23, 2019 · Learn about the periods of the Paleozoic Era, from the Cambrian Period (542–488 million years ago) to the Permian Period (297–251 million years ago).

Prehistoric underwater life exploded with amazing new creatures during the Paleozoic Era. Evolution allowed life to take many diverse forms, eventually developing the necessary adaptations to move from the ocean onto land. The Paleozoic Era is literally the era of “old life.”