The Cambrian Period
What happend during this period?
During this period, a reduction in ocean oxygen-depleting organisms permitted oxygen levels in the oceans to rise which eventually helped facilitate the Cambrian explosion. During the Cambrian explosion many lineages of animal began to evolve at the same time. Animals who could freely swim and eat other animals began to arise, and this started a food chain. Different types of animals evolved into groups creating the most diverse ecosystem the Earth has seen before this time. Carbonate reefs began forming, carnivores emerged, animals evolved to have hard carbonate shells. This explosion of animal life and diversity makes up the majority of modern animal life today. A mass oxygen depletion and formation of toxic sulfides eventually led to a mass extinction event to end this period.But the surving animals and their traits paved the way to cureent animal life as we know it.
The Cambrian period is a point of time lasting 53.4 million years. It was the first Period of the Paleozoic Era and Phaneorozoic Eon.
Part of the Paleozoic Era and Phaneorozoic Eon
What was the world like?
During this period, the continents we know today were grouped in the southern hemisphere and the main landmass was called Godwana. Plants had not yet been evolved and the land of this Earth was without vegetation and inhospitable to life as we know it . The time period before saw the abundance of oxygen in the amtmosphere and the Cambrian saw the ocean become oxygenated which is thought to play a huge factor in the cambrian explosion. The climate during this period was mild and saw no glaciation. Also during this period we saw continental plate movement, forming large mountain ranges. The life forms that existed in this period would include, only marine life as the land was uninhabitable. The life during this time started groupings such as chordates and anthropods. One of the first times the Earth saw animals eating animals, starting the food chain.
Image from Reference 1: Figure 5.1, pg. 87
Interesting facts:
- The evolution of hard shells for some animals allowed them to have a much better chance of being fossilized, making it easier to learn more from this period. - The average climate of the Cambrian period was warmer than the climate today. - The Cambrian explosion is refered to as an explosion because it happened in the span of 20-40 millions years, which is really short on a geological time scale. - During the Cambrian period, we saw the first development of light sensing organs in animals which later evolved into eyes.- One group of Animals that evolved during this time were animals that burrowed into the ocean sediment which allowed new habitats and eventually led to the reef. - The Cambrian period was so warm, there was not even ice at the north and south poles of the Earth
Image from Reference 2: FIgure 1
References: 1: Torsvik, Trond. "Earth History and Palaeogeography" . Cocks L.R.M., 2017. pg. 86 - 99 2: Tahata, Miyuki. "Three step modernization of the ocean:..". Science Direct. 2015
The Cambrian Period
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Transcript
The Cambrian Period
What happend during this period?
During this period, a reduction in ocean oxygen-depleting organisms permitted oxygen levels in the oceans to rise which eventually helped facilitate the Cambrian explosion. During the Cambrian explosion many lineages of animal began to evolve at the same time. Animals who could freely swim and eat other animals began to arise, and this started a food chain. Different types of animals evolved into groups creating the most diverse ecosystem the Earth has seen before this time. Carbonate reefs began forming, carnivores emerged, animals evolved to have hard carbonate shells. This explosion of animal life and diversity makes up the majority of modern animal life today. A mass oxygen depletion and formation of toxic sulfides eventually led to a mass extinction event to end this period.But the surving animals and their traits paved the way to cureent animal life as we know it.
The Cambrian period is a point of time lasting 53.4 million years. It was the first Period of the Paleozoic Era and Phaneorozoic Eon.
Part of the Paleozoic Era and Phaneorozoic Eon
What was the world like?
During this period, the continents we know today were grouped in the southern hemisphere and the main landmass was called Godwana. Plants had not yet been evolved and the land of this Earth was without vegetation and inhospitable to life as we know it . The time period before saw the abundance of oxygen in the amtmosphere and the Cambrian saw the ocean become oxygenated which is thought to play a huge factor in the cambrian explosion. The climate during this period was mild and saw no glaciation. Also during this period we saw continental plate movement, forming large mountain ranges. The life forms that existed in this period would include, only marine life as the land was uninhabitable. The life during this time started groupings such as chordates and anthropods. One of the first times the Earth saw animals eating animals, starting the food chain.
Image from Reference 1: Figure 5.1, pg. 87
Interesting facts:
- The evolution of hard shells for some animals allowed them to have a much better chance of being fossilized, making it easier to learn more from this period. - The average climate of the Cambrian period was warmer than the climate today. - The Cambrian explosion is refered to as an explosion because it happened in the span of 20-40 millions years, which is really short on a geological time scale. - During the Cambrian period, we saw the first development of light sensing organs in animals which later evolved into eyes.- One group of Animals that evolved during this time were animals that burrowed into the ocean sediment which allowed new habitats and eventually led to the reef. - The Cambrian period was so warm, there was not even ice at the north and south poles of the Earth
Image from Reference 2: FIgure 1
References: 1: Torsvik, Trond. "Earth History and Palaeogeography" . Cocks L.R.M., 2017. pg. 86 - 99 2: Tahata, Miyuki. "Three step modernization of the ocean:..". Science Direct. 2015