Silurian

E43370

geologic period period of the Paleozoic Era

The Silurian is a geologic period of the Paleozoic Era, roughly 443 to 419 million years ago, marked by the stabilization of Earth’s climate, widespread shallow seas, and significant diversification of early marine life and the first land plants.

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Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form	Occurrences
Silurian Period	6
Silurian period	4
Silurian System	1

Statements (46)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	geologic period ⓘ period of the Paleozoic Era ⓘ
atmosphere	rising atmospheric oxygen levels ⓘ
boundaryDefinition	defined by Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) ⓘ
characterizedBy	diversification of marine life ⓘ first well-established land plants ⓘ high sea levels ⓘ reef expansion ⓘ stabilization of Earth’s climate ⓘ warm greenhouse climate ⓘ widespread shallow epicontinental seas ⓘ
chronostratigraphicUnit	Silurian self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Silurian System
climate	post-glacial warming after Ordovician glaciation ⓘ relatively stable global temperatures ⓘ
continentConfiguration	Baltica moving toward Laurentia ⓘ Gondwana dominant in Southern Hemisphere ⓘ Laurentia near equator ⓘ
duration	about 24 million years ⓘ
endTime	about 419 million years ago ⓘ
flora	earliest vascular plants ⓘ simple land plant communities ⓘ
follows	Ordovician ⓘ
geochronologicUnit	Silurian self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Silurian Period
marineLife	coral-stromatoporoid reefs ⓘ diverse brachiopods ⓘ early jawed fishes ⓘ eurypterids ⓘ jawless fishes ⓘ
namedAfter	Celtic tribes ⓘ surface form: Silures ancient Welsh tribe Silures ⓘ
namedBy	Roderick Murchison ⓘ
namedInYear	1835 ⓘ
paleogeography	extensive shallow continental shelves ⓘ
paleontology	early terrestrial ecosystems ⓘ important fossil reef systems ⓘ
partOf	Paleozoic Era ⓘ
precedes	Devonian ⓘ
startBoundaryEvent	end-Ordovician mass extinction ⓘ
startTime	about 443 million years ago ⓘ
stratigraphicRank	system ⓘ
subdivision	Llandovery ⓘ Ludlow ⓘ Pridoli Epoch ⓘ surface form: Pridoli Wenlock ⓘ
tectonicActivity	Caledonian orogeny ⓘ
usedIn	geologic time scale ⓘ

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Silurian → chronostratigraphicUnit → Silurian self-linksurface differs ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian System

Paleozoic Era → contains → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian Period

Phanerozoic Eon → contains → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian Period

Gnathostomata → firstAppearance → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian period

Lycopodiophyta → firstAppearance → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian period

Devonian Period → follows → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian Period

Silurian → geochronologicUnit → Silurian self-linksurface differs ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian Period

Caledonian fault system → geologicalAge → Silurian ⓘ

Southern Uplands accretionary prism → geologicalAgeDetail → Silurian ⓘ

Southern Uplands Fault → geologicalPeriodOfMajorActivity → Silurian ⓘ

Osteichthyes → hasFossilRecordFrom → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian period

Agnatha → highDiversityIn → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian period

International Chronostratigraphic Chart → includes → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian Period

Ordovician Period → precedes → Silurian ⓘ

this entity surface form: Silurian Period