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Early Paleozoic Life
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Lecture 18
3/30/98
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| | Today we will look at the fossil record from the Early Paleozoic (Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian Periods) |
| | These fossils record increasing diversity and changes in the structure of the in marine biosphere. |
| | Throughout the Early Paleozoic diversity of life increases. |
| | Increasing diversity appears to result from increasing specialization of faunas. |
| | This specialization may have resulted as the earth's environment became more stable. |
| | Openning of the Iapetous Ocean (proto-Atlantic) |
| | Development of shallow seas on North America and Europe |
| | most continental mass at low latitudes around the equator |
| | Further breakup of continents into smaller pieces |
| | Development of deep ocean basins |
| | grazers (suspension-feeders) |
| | scavangers (detritus feeders) |
| | Ordovician/Silurian (Paleozoic fauna) |
| | Diversity and Trophic levels |
| | extinction of archeocyathids |
| | Dominated by suspension feeders |
| | planktonic filter-feeders (zooplankton) |
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