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Earth History GEOL 2110. The Paleozoic Era Silurian and Devonian Periods - Part I Time of Fish, Amphibians and Forests. Major Concepts. Biodiversity on the seafloor continued in Silurian and Devonian times. Ammonites replaced Nautiloids ; Bony fish diversified to skeletal fish.
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Earth History GEOL 2110 The Paleozoic Era Silurian and Devonian Periods - Part I Time of Fish, Amphibians and Forests
Major Concepts • Biodiversity on the seafloor continued in Silurian and Devonian times. Ammonites replaced Nautiloids; Bony fish diversified to skeletal fish. • Land began to be populated with burrowing animals, spiders, scorpions and later amphibians • Spore-bearing vascular plants took root in the form of club moss, ferns, horsetails and seed ferns. • The proliferation of coral reefs caused restricted basins wherein great thickness of limestone and evaporites were deposited.
Marine Biodiversity Recovers from Ordovician Extinction Trilobites get big and defensive 1’ Spirifer Brachiopods Thick-walled, “winged” Brachs
Marine Biodiversity Recovers from Ordovician Extinction Coiled Ammonoid Cephalopods Replace Straight Nautiloids
The Age of Fishes Jawed Spiny Acanthodians
Invasion of the LandSpore-bearing Vascular Plants take Root Lycopsids (Club Moss) Rhynia – leaf-less tubes Sphenopsids (Horsetail) Vascular stalks transfer water and nutrients throughout the plant Psilophyton –Rooted , strong bundled stalks
Invasion of the LandLate Devonian – Seeded Plants and Trees Plants colonize the land! Late Devonian Seed Fern Stumps, Catskill Mtns, NY Seed are better than spores at retaining moisture and are more easily fertilized Modern-day spore tree fern as existed in the Late Devonian Fossilized Seeds from a Seed Fern
Invasion of the LandVascular Plants take Root Plants colonize the land!
Invasion of the LandBugs and Slimy Creatures Follow Plants colonize the land! Devonian centipede claw and head Devonian compound insect eye Millipede fossil
Invasion of the LandBugs and Slimy Creatures Follow Plants colonize the land!
Huge reefs in the Silurian and Devonian, made of: Silurian-Devonian Coral Reefs Tabulate Chain Coral Sponges Rugose Corals Heliophyllum Hexagoneria
Reef Facies Devonian Reef Complex, W. Australia
Silurian Reef Thorton Quarry, South of Chicago
Next Lecture • The Paleozoic Era • Silurian and Devonian Periods – Part IIStratigraphy and Tectonics