1. The Paleozoic Era began around 541 million years ago with the Cambrian Explosion, a rapid diversification of complex life forms.
2. During the Cambrian Period (541-485 million years ago), organisms such as trilobites, brachiopods, and early arthropods emerged in the oceans.
3. In the Ordovician Period (485-444 million years ago), a variety of marine life flourished, including coral reefs, cephalopods, and early jawless fish. The first land plants also evolved during this time.
4. The Silurian Period (444-419 million years ago) saw the colonization of land by plants, fungi, and arthropods. Early fish with jaws and the first air-breathing arthropods appeared.
5. In the Devonian Period (419-359 million years ago), fish diversified and amphibians evolved, marking the transition from sea to land. Forests of primitive plants grew and insect life thrived.
6. The Carboniferous Period (359-299 million years ago) saw the expansion of vast swamp forests, leading to the formation of extensive coal deposits. Giant dragonflies, early reptiles, and early amphibians were prevalent.
7. During the Permian Period (299-252 million years ago), reptiles became the dominant land vertebrates. Amniotes (egg-laying vertebrates) increasingly adapted to life on land, while marine life included a diverse array of fish, mollusks, and corals.
8. The Paleozoic Era ended with the largest mass extinction event in Earth's history, known as the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Around 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species went extinct, marking the transition into the Mesozoic Era.
Write events of during Paleozoic era
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