What was the ocean like during the Silurian period?

During this time, continental landmasses were low and sea levels were rising. This meant rich shallow sea ecosystems with new ecological niches. Silurian fossils show evidence of extensive reef building and the first signs that life beginning to colonize the new estuary, fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems.

What happened to the sea levels during Silurian period?

During the Silurian, continental elevations were generally much lower than in the present day, and global sea level was much higher. Sea level rose dramatically as the extensive glaciers from the Late Ordovician ice age melted.

What organisms first disappeared during the Silurian period?

The extinction event abruptly affected all major taxonomic groups and caused the disappearance of one third of all brachiopod and bryozoan families, as well as numerous groups of conodonts, trilobites, echinoderms, corals, bivalves, and graptolites.

What animals lived in the Cambrian period?

During the Cambrian there were more than 100 types of trilobites. There were plenty of other species living during the Cambrian Period also. Mollusks, worms, sponges and echinoderms filled the Cambrian seas. There were other living things present then that don’t fit into any of the categories we know about today.

What caused the Silurian period to end?

Around 443 million years ago, 85% of all species on Earth went extinct in the Ordovician-Silurian extinction. The extinction was a most likely a result of global cooling and reduced sea levels, which dramatically impacted the many marine species living in warm, shallow coastal waters.

What caused the Silurian period to start?

Sediments formed from massive quantities of broken shells suggest violent storms were triggered by the warmth of tropical oceans. The Silurian drew to a close with a series of extinction events linked to climate change; however, these were relatively minor compared with those of other geologic periods.

What species went extinct in the Ordovician-Silurian extinction?

Who became extinct? All of the major animal groups of the Ordovician oceans survived, including trilobites, brachiopods, corals, crinoids and graptolites, but each lost important members. Widespread families of trilobites disappeared and graptolites came close to total extinction.

What major geological events happened in the Silurian period?

Possibly the most remarkable biological event during the Silurian was the evolution and diversification of fish. Not only does this time period mark the wide and rapid spread of jawless fish, but also the appearances of both the first known freshwater fish and the first fish with jaws.

What ended the Silurian period?

419.2 (+/- 3.2) million years ago
Silurian/Ended

What was Life Like underwater during the Silurian period?

Underwater life thrived during the Silurian Period, 443 million years ago to 416 million years ago. Credit: Alena Hovorkova The Silurian (443.7 to 416.0 million years ago)* was a time when the Earth underwent considerable changes that had important repercussions for the environment and life within it.

What are some examples of Silurian animals?

Artist’s depiction of Silurian animals, including, from left: bryozoans, crinoids, clams, cephalopod, jelly, sea scorpion (Pterygotus), brachiopod, jawless fish (Birkenia), gastropod shell, brittle star, trilobite, bivalve mollusk, sponges, sea star. 443.7 to 416.0 Million years ago

What is the Silurian period?

(Image: © Alena Hovorkova) The Silurian Period occurred from 443 million to 416 million years ago. It was the third period in the Paleozoic Era. It followed the Ordovician Period and preceded the Devonian Period.

What do Silurian fossils tell us about marine ecosystems?

Silurian fossils show evidence of extensive reef building and the first signs that life beginning to colonize the new estuary, fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems. The supercontinent Gondwana had drifted southward and covered most of the southern latitudes.