The Paleozoic Era: Diversification of Plant and Animal Life (The Geologic History of Earth)

Characterized by a surge in biodiversity and evolutionary development, the Paleozoic Era ushered in the beginnings of life as we know it. Within these pages, readers will discover the fossil and geologic evidence from this time that reveals a dynamic planet, where new species of plants and animals were constantly emerging and continents were breaking apart and reforming. While many of the species from this era are now extinct and the continents are relatively stable, remnants of this era still continue to shed much-needed light on the conditions of Earth, both past and present. TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 INTRODUCTION......Page 19 CHAPTER 1 AN OVERVIEW OF PALEOZOIC TIME......Page 30 PALEOZOIC LIFE......Page 31 PALEOZOIC GEOGRAPHY......Page 33 CHAPTER 2 THE CAMBRIAN PERIOD......Page 37 PALEOGEOGRAPHY......Page 39 PALEOCLIMATE......Page 46 CAMBRIAN LIFE......Page 47 THE FOSSIL RECORD OF THE PRECAMBRIAN-CAMBRIAN TRANSITION......Page 48 PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS......Page 52 FAUNA......Page 53 DEPOSITS WITH SOFT-BODIED ORGANISMS......Page 57 CAMBRIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS......Page 60 SIGNIFICANT CAMBRIAN LIFE-FORMS......Page 61 TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION......Page 83 THE BOUNDARIES AND SUBDIVISIONS OF THE CAMBRIAN SYSTEM......Page 86 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CAMBRIAN DEPOSITS......Page 88 THE CORRELATION OF CAMBRIAN STRATA......Page 89 FORTUNIAN STAGE......Page 91 GUZHANGIAN STAGE......Page 92 PAIBIAN STAGE......Page 93 THE ORDOVICIAN ENVIRONMENT......Page 94 PALEOGEOGRAPHY......Page 97 PALEOCLIMATE......Page 102 MARINE ORGANISMS......Page 105 TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS......Page 110 THE ORDOVICIAN RADIATION......Page 111 ORDOVICIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS......Page 115 FAUNAL PROVINCES......Page 118 SIGNIFICANT ORDOVICIAN LIFE-FORMS......Page 119 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS......Page 130 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ORDOVICIAN DEPOSITS......Page 132 THE CORRELATION OF ORDOVICIAN STRATA......Page 133 STAGES OF THE ORDOVICIAN PERIOD......Page 134 FLOIAN STAGE......Page 135 DARRIWILIAN STAGE......Page 136 KATIAN STAGE......Page 137 HIRNANTIAN STAGE......Page 138 THE SILURIAN ENVIRONMENT......Page 139 PALEOGEOGRAPHY......Page 141 PALEOCLIMATE......Page 145 SILURIAN LIFE......Page 147 PENTAMERID COMMUNITIES......Page 148 REEF MOUNDS AND CORAL BIOSTROMES......Page 150 FISHES......Page 151 SILURIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS......Page 152 SIGNIFICANT SILURIAN LIFE-FORMS......Page 153 SILURIAN GEOLOGY......Page 161 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SILURIAN DEPOSITS......Page 162 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE SILURIAN SYSTEM......Page 164 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS......Page 165 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SILURIAN DEPOSITS......Page 167 THE CORRELATION OF SILURIAN STRATA......Page 174 ESTABLISHING SILURIAN BOUNDARIES......Page 178 STAGES OF THE SILURIAN PERIOD......Page 182 AERONIAN STAGE......Page 183 SHEINWOODIAN STAGE......Page 184 GORSTIAN STAGE......Page 185 PRIDOLI SERIES......Page 186 CHAPTER 5 THE DEVONIAN PERIOD......Page 188 PALEOGEOGRAPHY......Page 191 DEVONIAN LIFE......Page 193 INVERTEBRATES......Page 194 VERTEBRATES......Page 196 PLANTS......Page 198 FAUNAL REALMS AND MIGRATIONS......Page 200 DEVONIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS......Page 201 SIGNIFICANT DEVONIAN LIFE-FORMS......Page 203 DEVONIAN GEOLOGY......Page 222 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS......Page 223 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF DEVONIAN DEPOSITS......Page 225 ESTABLISHING DEVONIAN BOUNDARIES......Page 226 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF DEVONIAN DEPOSITS......Page 227 THE CORRELATION OF DEVONIAN STRATA......Page 239 LOCHKOVIAN STAGE......Page 240 PRAGIAN STAGE......Page 241 EIFELIAN STAGE......Page 242 GIVETIAN STAGE......Page 243 FRASNIAN STAGE......Page 244 FAMENNIAN STAGE......Page 245 THE CARBONIFEROUS ENVIRONMENT......Page 246 PALEOGEOGRAPHY......Page 247 PALEOCLIMATE......Page 248 CARBONIFEROUS LIFE......Page 249 INVERTEBRATES......Page 250 PLANTS......Page 252 FISHES......Page 253 AMPHIBIANS AND EARLY REPTILES......Page 254 SIGNIFICANT CARBONIFEROUS LIFE-FORMS......Page 255 CARBONIFEROUS GEOLOGY......Page 268 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS......Page 269 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM......Page 270 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CARBONIFEROUS DEPOSITS......Page 271 THE CORRELATION OF CARBONIFEROUS STRATA......Page 277 MISSISSIPPIAN SUBPERIOD......Page 279 PENNSYLVANIAN SUBPERIOD......Page 283 CHAPTER 7 THE PERMIAN PERIOD......Page 286 PALEOGEOGRAPHY......Page 287 PALEOCLIMATE......Page 289 PERMIAN LIFE......Page 290 THE EMERGENCE OF IMPORTANT REPTILES......Page 292 PERMIAN MASS EXTINCTION......Page 294 SIGNIFICANT PERMIAN LIFE-FORMS......Page 297 PERMIAN GEOLOGY......Page 307 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE PERMIAN SYSTEM......Page 308 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF PERMIAN DEPOSITS......Page 310 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF PERMIAN DEPOSITS......Page 312 DELINEATING THE MAJOR BOUNDARIES AND SUBDIVISIONS OF THE PERMIAN SYSTEM......Page 317 STAGES OF THE PERMIAN PERIOD......Page 319 SAKMARIAN STAGE......Page 320 ARTINSKIAN STAGE......Page 321 KUNGURIAN STAGE......Page 322 WORDIAN STAGE......Page 323 WUCHIAPINGIAN STAGE......Page 324 CHANGHSINGIAN STAGE......Page 325 CONCLUSION......Page 326 GLOSSARY......Page 327 FOR FURTHER READING......Page 330 INDEX......Page 332 TITLE 4 COPYRIGHT 5 CONTENTS 6 INTRODUCTION 19 CHAPTER 1 AN OVERVIEW OF PALEOZOIC TIME 30 PALEOZOIC LIFE 31 PALEOZOIC GEOGRAPHY 33 CHAPTER 2 THE CAMBRIAN PERIOD 37 THE CAMBRIAN ENVIRONMENT 39 PALEOGEOGRAPHY 39 PALEOCLIMATE 46 CAMBRIAN LIFE 47 THE FOSSIL RECORD OF THE PRECAMBRIAN-CAMBRIAN TRANSITION 48 PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS 52 FAUNA 53 DEPOSITS WITH SOFT-BODIED ORGANISMS 57 CAMBRIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS 60 SIGNIFICANT CAMBRIAN LIFE-FORMS 61 CAMBRIAN GEOLOGY 83 TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION 83 THE BOUNDARIES AND SUBDIVISIONS OF THE CAMBRIAN SYSTEM 86 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CAMBRIAN DEPOSITS 88 THE CORRELATION OF CAMBRIAN STRATA 89 STAGES OF THE CAMBRIAN PERIOD 91 FORTUNIAN STAGE 91 DRUMIAN STAGE 92 GUZHANGIAN STAGE 92 PAIBIAN STAGE 93 CHAPTER 3 THE ORDOVICIAN PERIOD 94 THE ORDOVICIAN ENVIRONMENT 94 PALEOGEOGRAPHY 97 PALEOCLIMATE 102 ORDOVICIAN LIFE 105 MARINE ORGANISMS 105 TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS 110 THE ORDOVICIAN RADIATION 111 ORDOVICIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS 115 FAUNAL PROVINCES 118 SIGNIFICANT ORDOVICIAN LIFE-FORMS 119 ORDOVICIAN GEOLOGY 130 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS 130 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ORDOVICIAN DEPOSITS 132 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE ORDOVICIAN SYSTEM 133 THE CORRELATION OF ORDOVICIAN STRATA 133 STAGES OF THE ORDOVICIAN PERIOD 134 TREMADOCIAN STAGE 135 FLOIAN STAGE 135 DAPINGIAN STAGE 136 DARRIWILIAN STAGE 136 SANDBIAN STAGE 137 KATIAN STAGE 137 HIRNANTIAN STAGE 138 CHAPTER 4 THE SILURIAN PERIOD 139 THE SILURIAN ENVIRONMENT 139 PALEOGEOGRAPHY 141 PALEOCLIMATE 145 SILURIAN LIFE 147 PENTAMERID COMMUNITIES 148 REEF MOUNDS AND CORAL BIOSTROMES 150 FISHES 151 VASCULAR LAND PLANTS 152 SILURIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS 152 SIGNIFICANT SILURIAN LIFE-FORMS 153 SILURIAN GEOLOGY 161 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SILURIAN DEPOSITS 162 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE SILURIAN SYSTEM 164 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS 165 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SILURIAN DEPOSITS 167 THE CORRELATION OF SILURIAN STRATA 174 ESTABLISHING SILURIAN BOUNDARIES 178 STAGES OF THE SILURIAN PERIOD 182 RHUDDANIAN STAGE 183 AERONIAN STAGE 183 TELYCHIAN STAGE 184 SHEINWOODIAN STAGE 184 HOMERIAN STAGE 185 GORSTIAN STAGE 185 LUDFORDIAN STAGE 186 PRIDOLI SERIES 186 CHAPTER 5 THE DEVONIAN PERIOD 188 THE DEVONIAN ENVIRONMENT 191 PALEOGEOGRAPHY 191 PALEOCLIMATE 193 DEVONIAN LIFE 193 INVERTEBRATES 194 VERTEBRATES 196 PLANTS 198 FAUNAL REALMS AND MIGRATIONS 200 DEVONIAN EXTINCTION EVENTS 201 SIGNIFICANT DEVONIAN LIFE-FORMS 203 DEVONIAN GEOLOGY 222 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS 223 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF DEVONIAN DEPOSITS 225 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE DEVONIAN SYSTEM 226 ESTABLISHING DEVONIAN BOUNDARIES 226 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF DEVONIAN DEPOSITS 227 THE CORRELATION OF DEVONIAN STRATA 239 STAGES OF THE DEVONIAN PERIOD 240 LOCHKOVIAN STAGE 240 PRAGIAN STAGE 241 EMSIAN STAGE 242 EIFELIAN STAGE 242 GIVETIAN STAGE 243 FRASNIAN STAGE 244 FAMENNIAN STAGE 245 CHAPTER 6 THE CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD 246 THE CARBONIFEROUS ENVIRONMENT 246 PALEOGEOGRAPHY 247 PALEOCLIMATE 248 CARBONIFEROUS LIFE 249 INVERTEBRATES 250 PLANTS 252 FISHES 253 AMPHIBIANS AND EARLY REPTILES 254 SIGNIFICANT CARBONIFEROUS LIFE-FORMS 255 CARBONIFEROUS GEOLOGY 268 SIGNIFICANT GEOLOGIC EVENTS 269 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM 270 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CARBONIFEROUS DEPOSITS 271 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CARBONIFEROUS DEPOSITS 271 THE CORRELATION OF CARBONIFEROUS STRATA 277 STAGES OF THE CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD 279 MISSISSIPPIAN SUBPERIOD 279 PENNSYLVANIAN SUBPERIOD 283 CHAPTER 7 THE PERMIAN PERIOD 286 THE PERMIAN ENVIRONMENT 287 PALEOGEOGRAPHY 287 PALEOCLIMATE 289 PERMIAN LIFE 290 THE EMERGENCE OF IMPORTANT REPTILES 292 PERMIAN MASS EXTINCTION 294 SIGNIFICANT PERMIAN LIFE-FORMS 297 PERMIAN GEOLOGY 307 THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS OF THE PERMIAN SYSTEM 308 THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF PERMIAN DEPOSITS 310 THE OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF PERMIAN DEPOSITS 312 THE CORRELATION OF PERMIAN STRATA 317 DELINEATING THE MAJOR BOUNDARIES AND SUBDIVISIONS OF THE PERMIAN SYSTEM 317 STAGES OF THE PERMIAN PERIOD 319 ASSELIAN STAGE 320 SAKMARIAN STAGE 320 ARTINSKIAN STAGE 321 KUNGURIAN STAGE 322 ROADIAN STAGE 323 WORDIAN STAGE 323 CAPITANIAN STAGE 324 WUCHIAPINGIAN STAGE 324 CHANGHSINGIAN STAGE 325 CONCLUSION 326 GLOSSARY 327 FOR FURTHER READING 330 INDEX 332 1615301119,9781615301119,1615301968,9781615301966 A diverse range of organisms and rock formations have survived for many millennia, originating prior to the emergence of human life forms. These geological formations reveal much about EarthOCOs climate and the types of life forms that can endure certain environmental conditions. Using fossil records and geological evidence, this comprehensive series examines all aspects of prehistory, including the ascendancy of dinosaurs and the beginnings of humankind. Numerous photographs and illustrations invite the reader to understand the genesis of life as we know it." Characterized by a surge in biodiversity and evolutionary development, the Paleozoic Era ushered in the beginnings of life as we know it. Within these pages, readers will discover the fossil and geologic evidence from this time that reveals a dynamic planet where new species of plants and animals were constantly emerging and continents were breaking apart and reforming--F rom publisher description This volume examines fossil and geologic evidence from the paleozoic that reveals a dynamic planet, where new species of plants and animals were constantly emerging and continents were breaking apart and reforming