Early Devonian

E27677

The Early Devonian was the initial subdivision of the Devonian Period, marked by the diversification of early fishes and the spread of primitive vascular land plants across emerging terrestrial ecosystems.

Aliases (1)

Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf geologic time interval
subdivision of the Devonian Period
associatedWith Rhynie Chert fossil locality
boundaryDefinedBy Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point at Klonk, Czech Republic
first appearance of the conodont Icriodus woschmidti
characterizedBy brachiopod-rich marine faunas
development of early terrestrial ecosystems
diversification of early fishes
early ammonoid ancestors
evolution of early coral reefs
expansion of jawed fishes
expansion of terrestrial habitats along coastlines and floodplains
extensive shallow epicontinental seas
high sea levels
marine invertebrate diversification
presence of jawless agnathan fishes
spread of primitive vascular land plants
trilobite faunas in decline compared to earlier Paleozoic
warm global climate
chronostratigraphicUnit Lower Devonian Series
containsStage Emsian
Lochkovian
Pragian
endTime approximately 393.3 million years ago
fauna early acanthodian fishes
early placoderm fishes
jawless ostracoderms
lobe-finned sarcopterygian fishes
ray-finned actinopterygian fishes
rugose corals
stromatoporoid sponges
tabulate corals
follows Pridoli Epoch
geologicalSetting active orogeny in Caledonian mountain belts
assembly of Euramerica continent
notableFossils Aglaophyton
Rhynia
early terrestrial arthropods in Rhynie Chert
partOf Devonian Period
plantFlora early lycophytes
primitive vascular plants
rhyniophytes
simple leafless stems with sporangia
zosterophylls
precedes Middle Devonian
startTime approximately 419.2 million years ago
timeScale Paleozoic Era
Phanerozoic Eon
usedIn International Commission on Stratigraphy timescale

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Early Devonian ("Lower Devonian Series")
chronostratigraphicUnit
Old Red Sandstone
geologicPeriodStart
Devonian Period
hasSubdivision

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