Devonian

During the Paleozoic brachiopods were a highly diverse and abundant phylum, dominating the fauna and subsequently the fossil record for millions of years (Topper). Brachiopods have two valves with bilateral symmetry and are sessile benthic marine organisms that obtain energy through filter feeding by means of a structure called a lophophore. They occupied various marine ecological niches throughout the Paleozoic, with the shell morphology generally indicating the life habit of the organism (I just

The Paleozoic Era was the first in the Phanerozoic Eon. In the Paleozoic Era all life lived in or around water. This is because land was not sustainable for life yet.The Paleozoic Era had six different periods. The Era lasted about 542 million years but ended because of the Cambrian explosion. The first period in the Paleozoic Era was the Cambrian Period. The Cambrian Period was an important part of Earth’s history and formation. It was when mainly all of life first came around. The second period

This gives buoyancy during the life of the animal. The morphology and habit of the goniatites, compared to the ammonites, are alike. For example, both swim freely and have heads with two well developed eyes and arms (or tentacles). Survived the Late Devonian extinction. (One of five major extinction events in Earth's history) The shell of a Goniatite is always coiled in a planispiral structure. According to the shape of its shell, this order was thought to be poor swimmers. Prolecanitida An order of

The History of Earth's Mass Extinctions The four billion year history of earth has witnessed five mass extinctions, and some scientists believe that we are on the verge of the sixth.1[1] If we are in the midst of the next mass extinction, we are in the very early stages of an evolving, and escalating process. The most recent, or fifth mass of the extinctions occurred 65 million years ago at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods. Images of an asteroid colliding with the

could be translated, according to Dr. Hineline, to “Scientist, Science, Scientists.” That is a reference the three main topic/books covered in class, which include: A Feeling for the Organism, The Structure of scientific revolution, and The Great Devonian Controversy. The first of the books, A Feeling for the Organism, is an biography, written by Evelyn Fox Keller, on the personal and scientific life of the geneticist, Barbara McClintock. The book goes into detail about the scientific struggles and

Index fossils are fossils used to define and identify geologic patterns. They work on the premise that, although different sediments may look different depending on the conditions under which they were laid down. They may include the remains of the same species of fossils. If the concerned species was short-lived (only lasting a few hundred thousand years) then it is certain that the sediments were deposited within that narrow time period. The shorter the lifespan of the species, the more precisely

seas spread worldwide, brachiopods, crinoids and corals also make an appearance. • The first fish with jaws appeared during this time period along with insects, centipedes and millipedes. • Glaciation marked the end of the Silurian period. Devonian: • This period started 410 million years ago and ended 360 million years ago. • Swampy forests on land and fish and land

That’s not hyperbole. I really mean it. How else could I react when I open up the latest issue of Bioessays, and see this: Cephalopod origin and evolution: A congruent picture emerging from fossils, development and molecules. Just from the title alone, I’m immediately launched into my happy place: sitting on a rocky beach on the Pacific Northwest coast, enjoying the sea breeze while the my wife serves me a big platter of bacon, and the cannula in my hypothalamus slowly drips a potent cocktail of

There have been 5 mass extinctions in Earth’s existence. The names of these are (from most recent to least recent): Cretaceous–Paleogene, Triassic–Jurassic, Permian–Triassic, Late Devonian, and Ordovician–Silurian. The most well known mass extinction, Cretaceous-Paleogene, was theorized to have occurred through a massive comet or asteroid impact. A cold winter created by the impacting object forbid any plants and plankton to carry out photosynthesis. During this time, about three quarters of all

How the First Seed Plants Froze the Earth With a little bacteria and a little bit of dirt, the first plant on earth was created. This plant was no more than mats of algae that layered on top of itself in water, but it was a first nonetheless. It was not until the end of the Ordovician period, some 480 million years ago, that plants began to grow on land. Bryophytes were the first to grow, which included mosses, hornworts, and liverworts. Lacking any leaves, these plants went through a Gametophyte