Paleozoic Life

Hierarchy of Life

1. Kingdom: Protoctista
   1. Radiolaria
   2. Foraminifera
      • Fusulinids
2. Kingdom: Animalia
   1. Archaeocyathids
      • Archaeo = ancient
      • Cyathid = cup
      • first Bioherms in the Cambrian
   2. Porifera = sponges
      • cup shaped organisms
      • Stromatoporoids - biohermal structures - Middle Ordovician
   3. Cnidaria - simplest metazoans, tissue
      Coelenterates =
      • Coel = hollow
      • Enteron = gut)
      1. Alternation of generation
         1. polyp
         2. medusa
      2. Major groups
         1. Hydrazoa
         2. Scyphozoa = jellyfish
         3. Anthozoa = corals
            1. Tabulate corals
            2. Rugose corals
            3. Scleractinian corals
   4. "Worms"
      1. Flat worms
      2. Round worms
   5. Bryozoa - "moss animals"
   6. Brachiopods
      
      • Brachio = arm
      • pod = foot
      1. Inarticulates
      2. Articulates
   7. Mollusca
      
      • mollis = soft
      • ca(dav) = body
      1. Monoplacophora
      2. Scaphopods
      3. Bivalves
         
         • Pelecypods -
           • pelecy = hatchet
           • pod = pod
      4. Amphineura
         • Polyplacophorans
         • Chitons
      5. Gastropods
         • gastro = stomach
         • pod = foot
      6. Cephalopods
         • cephal = head
         • pod = foot
         1. Nautiloid Cephalopods
         2. Ammonoid Cephalopods
            1. Goniatite = Dev - Perm
            2. Ceratite = Perm - Trias.
            3. Ammonite = Tria. - Cret.
         3. Coleoids
            1. Belemnoids
            2. Sepioids = Cuttlefish
            3. Teuthoids = Squids
            4. Octopods
   8. Advanced "worms"
      1. Annelids - segmented worms
      2. Onycophora
         Aysheaia
   9. Arthropods
      • Arthro = jointed
      • pod = pod
      1. Trilobites - 3 lobes
      2. Crustaceans
         • ostracods
         • Lobsters
         • Crabs
         • Shrimp
      3. Chelicerates
         • Eurypterids
         • Horse-shoe crabs
         • Arachnids
      4. Uniramia
         • Insects
         • Centipedes
         • Millipedes
   10. Echinoderms
       • Echino = spiny
       • derm = skin
       1. Asteroids - starfish
       2. Ophiuroids - brittle stars
       3. Crinoids
       4. Blastoids
       5. Echinoids
          • Sea urchins
          • Sand dollars
   11. Hemichordata
       • Graptolites
   12. Pre-Chordates
       • Conodonts

Cambrian System

1. Chengjian fossil of China
   • Early Cambrian
2. Burgess Shale - British Columbia
   1. Charles Walcott
   2. Strata of the Burgess Shale
   3. Life found of the Burgess Shale
      1. Arthropods - Marrella
      2. Sponges
      3. Onycophorans - Aysheaia
      4. Echinoderms
         1. Crinoids
         2. Sea cucumbers
      5. Chordates - Pikaia

Index fossil of the Paleozoic

Cambrian -

1. Trilobites (Age of Trilobites) *
2. Archeocyathids

Ordovician

1. Graptolites *
2. Gastropods
3. Brachiopods

Silurian

1. Eurypterids *
2. Tabulate Coral
3. Brachiopods
4. Silurian Reef on the Internet

Devonian

1. Sponge
2. Brachiopods - Mucrospirifer
3. Rugose coral
4. Trilobite - Phacops
5. Placoderms * -
   • Age of Fish

Mississippian

1. Crinoids *
2. Blastoids - Pentremites
3. Bryozoa - Archimedes
4. Ammonoid Cephalopods

Pennsylvanian

1. Marine Index Fossil
   1. Fusulinids *- Triticites
   2. Brachiopods
   3. Gastropods - Worthenia, Trepospira, Euphemites
   4. Nautiloid Cephalopods
2. Land index fossils
   1. Lycopsids *
   2. Seed ferns *

Permian

1. Marine Index Fossil
   1. Fusulinids *- Pseudoschwagerina
   2. Ammonoid Cephalopods
   3. Brachiopods
2. Land index fossils
   1. Amphibians *
      • Age of Amphibians

Paleozoic Bioherms

1. Stomatolites - Cyanobacteria - Late Proterozoic
2. Archeocyathids - Cambrian
3. Stromatoporoids - Middle Ordovician
4. Tabulate coral - Ordovician - Silurian
5. Bryozoa - Ordovician
6. Rugose coral - Devonian
7. Brachiopods - Permian
8. Rudistid Clams - Cretaceous
9. Scleractinian coral - Jurassic - recent

Conical Shape - Convergence

1. Archeocyathids
2. Rugose coral
3. Brachiopods
4. Rudistid clams
5. Scleractinian coral

Paleozoic Extinction Events

1. Ordovician
   • (Taconic)
2. Devonian
   • (Acadian)
3. Permian
   • (Alleghenian)

Permian Extinctions:

1. Trilobites
2. (Rugose) and Tabulate coral
3. Goniatite Ammonoids
4. Eurypterids
5. most groups of crinoids
6. Blastoids
7. several groups of Brachiopods
8. several groups of Bryozoa

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