Warm shallow seas spread widely; jawed fish appeared along with the first land animals and vascular plants.
Explore the Silurian Earth in 3D →The second-largest mass extinction, eliminating ~85% of marine species. Likely caused by rapid glaciation as Gondwana drifted over the South Pole.
Jawed fish (gnathostomes) evolved in the Silurian. The invention of jaws revolutionized feeding strategies and became a key driver of vertebrate diversification.
Ancient mountains formed by the collision of Laurentia, Baltica, and Avalonia, closing the Iapetus Ocean. Remnants survive today in Scotland, Scandinavia, and Newfoundland, forming the foundation of the Laurussian landmass.