Paleozoic era is long enough stage of development of the Earth.It lasted 370 million years.
After the formation of large tracts of land at the end of the Proterozoic era, the Palaeozoic era began extensive spill seas.According to many geologists, while there was a huge continental block that called Pangaea ("all the earth" in Greek language).On all sides it was surrounded by the oceans.Over time, this huge block collapsed.Thus, the Paleozoic era was the time of formation of bases for the future of the continent.For the further development of those parts of the Earth could increase, connected (by orogenic processes) or decrease, again breaking into pieces that could drift apart until the moment has not yet taken the position of the current continents.
first hypothesis of "continental drift" stated Alfred Wenger (German geologist).According to him, initially Pangaea split into Gondwana and Laurasia.
periods of the Paleozoic era is subdivided into the Permian, carbon, Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician and Cambrian (the oldest).
Cambrian stage began about 570 million. Years ago (according to some sources, a little earlier).The duration of this period 70 million. S.Getting connected to the evolutionary stage of the explosion in the world, in which there were the first representatives of most of the major animal groups that are known today.
Precambrian-Cambrian boundary is marked in the rocks, where suddenly there is a huge variety of animal fossils from the mineral skeletons.Cambrian evolutionary explosion is one of the mysteries of the history of the planet.To go the simplest in eukaryotic cells (more complex) it took two and a half million years.After 700 million. Years of the first multicellular.And over 100 million. Years of the planet populated the incredible variety of animals.It should be noted that since that time (more than 500 million years old) in the world did not have any animal having a fundamentally new structure of the body.
Ordovician period, about 500 million. Years ago started and ended - about 408 million. Years ago.
mostly in the southern hemisphere took Gondwana.Other large areas of land concentrated in the equatorial zone.Sea while inhabited by numerous animals, is very different from the inhabitants of the Cambrian seas.The land was virtually unusable for life - there was no soil, no plants, mercilessly scorching sun, frequent hurricanes and volcanic eruptions.
By the end of the Ordovician stage began to be selected in the coastal silt, expanding his community, fungi, algae, bacteria.Thus was formed the primitive soil.
In the early Silurian fish took shape, close to the modern.By the end of phase begins orogenic processes.As a result, they formed Cambrian, Scandinavian Mountains, as well as arrays in East Greenland and southern Scotland.
Devonian stage of development is characterized by the greatest disasters of the Earth on the planet.At the time, there was a clash of Greenland, Europe and North America.It formed a huge continent Laurasia.
Carboniferous period (carbon) was characterized by a variety of climate - change came from century to century.However, in general, it (the climate) differ humid temperate, subtropical and tropical.This created favorable conditions for the spread of marsh and forest vegetation on land.
Life in the Paleozoic era was formed quite active until the end of the last stage.
299 million. Years ago, began the final stage of the Paleozoic.On the border with the Triassic period was the most extensive in the history of the planet's species extinction.At this time, about 70% had disappeared ground and about 90% of marine organisms.Thus ended the Palaeozoic.
