The Paleozoic Era
What major geologic events occurred
during the Paleozoic era?
What does fossil evidence reveal
about the Paleozoic era?
The Paleozoic Era
Paleozoic era
coal swamp
Mesozoic era
supercontinent
Cenozoic era
inland sea
Early Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the oldest era of
the Phanerozoic eon.
The Mesozoic era is the middle era of
the Phanerozoic eon.
The Cenozoic era is the youngest era
of the Phanerozoic eon.
Early Paleozoic (cont.)
Paleozoic
from Greek palai, means ancient;
and Greek zoe, means life
Early Paleozoic (cont.)
The Paleozoic
era lasted for
more than half
of the
Phanerozoic eon.
The Paleozoic
era is often
divided into
three parts:
early, middle, and late.
The Cambrian and Ordovician periods
make up the Early Paleozoic.
Early Paleozoic (cont.)
The organisms from the Cambrian
explosion were invertebrates that lived
only in the oceans.
This time is often called the age of
invertebrates.
Early Paleozoic (cont.)
Locations of Earths continents have
changed since the Early Paleozoic.
The landmass that would become
North America was on the equator.
Early Paleozoic (cont.)
Earths climate was warm during the
Early Paleozoic, and rising seas
flooded the continents and formed
many shallow inland seas.
An inland sea is a body of water
formed when ocean water floods
continents.
The Silurian and Devonian periods make
up the Middle Paleozoic.
Middle Paleozoic
There were so many types of fishes
during the Silurian and Devonian
periods that the Middle Paleozoic
is often called the age of fishes.
On land, cockroaches, dragonflies,
and other insects evolved.
Middle Paleozoic (cont.)
Middle Paleozoic rocks contain
evidence of major collisions between
moving continents, which created
mountain ranges.
When several landmasses collided with
the eastern coast of North America, the
Appalachian Mountains began to form.
Middle Paleozoic (cont.)
How did the Appalachian
Mountains form?
The Carboniferous and Permian periods
make up the Late Paleozoic.
Late Paleozoic
In the Late Paleozoic, some fishlike
organisms spent part of their lives on
land.
Amphibians were so common in the
Late Paleozoic that this time is known
as the age of amphibians.
Ancient amphibians adapted to land
with lungs, thick skin, and strong limbs.
Late Paleozoic (cont.)
How did organisms adapt
to land?
Late Paleozoic (cont.)
During the Late Paleozoic, dense,
tropical forests grew in swamps along
shallow inland seas.
When trees and other plants died, they
sank into the swamps.
A coal swamp is an oxygen-poor
environment where, over time, plant
material changes into coal.
A supercontinent is an ancient
landmass which separated into presentday continents.
By the end of the Paleozoic era, Earths
continents had formed Pangaeaa giant
supercontinent.
Late Paleozoic (cont.)
As Pangaea formed, coal swamps
dried up and Earths climate became
cooler and drier.
The largest mass extinction in Earths
history, called the Permian mass
extinction, occurred at the end of the
Paleozoic era.
Late Paleozoic (cont.)
Fossil evidence indicates that 95 percent
of marine life-forms and 70 percent of all
life on land became extinct.
What does fossil evidence
reveal about the end of the
Paleozoic era?
Life slowly moved
to land during the
Paleozoic era as
amphibians and
reptiles evolved.
In the Late
Paleozoic,
massive coal
swamps formed
along inland seas.
At the end of the Paleozoic era, a
mass extinction event coincided with
the final stages of the formation of
Pangaea.
Lesson 2: The Paleozoic Era
Life diversified during the Paleozoic era as
organisms moved from water to land.
Coal swamps formed along
inland seas. Later, land
became drier as the
supercontinent Pangaea
formed.
The largest mass extinction in Earths history
occurred at the end of the Permian period.
