EAPS 11200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Taconic Orogeny, Euramerica, Baltica
3 Apr 2019
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Document Summary
Paleozoic - overview of the silurian and devonian periods. Silurian-devonian tectonics: taconic orogeny had ceased in eastern laurentia, erosion had removed most of the mountains, renewed subduction and closure of the iapetus ocean, baltica collides with laurentia. mid-silurian, baltica collides with laurentia, caledonian orogeny. Devonian: baltica sutures with laurentia, acadian - caledonian orogeny, euramerica land mass. Corals, especially the massive, fast-growing tabulate corals, and coralline sponges, both refilled vacant niches and diversified into unfilled niche spaces. Graptolites, which almost disappeared at the end of the ordovician, increased their numbers greatly during the silurian period. Silurian arms race : marine life underwent ecological reorganization, a new ecological arms race between predators and prey ensued. Age of fishes : the most notable evolutionary event of the mid-paleozoic was the rise of jawed fishes. Jaws made it possible for fishes to bite into prey, and even to crush shells or skeletons.
