The Petrifying Paleozoic

The Paleozoic Era lasted from about 541 million years ago to 252 million years ago, and during this era the Earth went through some pretty wild changes! Wyoming sure looked different, but so did the entire planet. All of the continents were once smushed together in one giant landmass.

Take a look below at what North America looked like during the Cambrian Period, 510 million year ago! We highlighted Wyoming in red. What looks different about it? Was Wyoming partially underwater?

During most of the Paleozoic Era, life ruled the oceans, but by the end of the Paleozoic, animals and plants had made it up on to land too! The very first vertebrate animals emerged and waddled up on land. Vertebrate animals are animals with backbones like humans, elephants, or puppy dogs.

Can you name another vertebrate animal that is alive today?

Enormous forests of very early plants covered North America and Europe during the late Paleozoic, but these plants looked quite different from trees we know today. Some of the first big plants were in fact moss that grew to the size of a pine tree! Ferns were also very common. Towards the end of the Paleozoic Era, the first modern-looking plants appeared and large reptiles and the first relatives of mammals ruled the land!

Continue on to Challenge #5 to help draw a common sea-creature that lived during the Paleozoic.