Devonian Period

Devonian Period

The Devonian Period lasted approximately 60 million years, from about 419.2 to 358.9 million years ago. During the Devonian Period, the world experienced a relatively warm climate, with no polar ice caps.

The continents were still mostly joined together in a supercontinent called Gondwana, and the first forests of large trees emerged, changing the landscape significantly. The atmospheric oxygen levels were also higher than they had been in previous periods, which allowed for the evolution of new and more complex forms of life.

One major event that occurred during the Devonian Period was the colonization of land by plants and animals. The first forests of large trees emerged, creating new habitats for terrestrial organisms. The evolution of jawed fish and other marine life during this time also laid the foundation for the evolution of vertebrate life on land.

- The first trees appeared during the Devonian Period, which drastically changed the landscape of the earth. - The first amphibians, which were the ancestors of all land vertebrates, evolved from lobe-finned fish during the Devonian Period. - The Devonian Period ended with a mass extinction event, which was likely caused by a combination of climate change, asteroid impacts, and volcanic activity. - Some of the earliest known fossils of insects come from the Devonian Period. These insects were very primitive and had simple mouthparts, wings, and legs. Young, Gavin C. “Placoderms (Armored Fish): Dominant Vertebrates of the Devonian Period.” Annual review of earth and planetary sciences 38.1 (2010): 523–550. Web.

The Devonian Period is known as the "Age of Fishes," as many new species of fish evolved during this time, including the first jawed fish. Other marine life during the Devonian Period included trilobites, brachiopods, and ammonites. The first amphibians and insects also emerged during this time. Szrek, Piotr et al. “Tetrapod Trackways from the Early Middle Devonian Period of Poland.” Nature (London) 463.7277 (2010): 43–48. Web.