Cambrian - Wikipedia
The Cambrian (/ ˈ k æ m b r i. ə n, ˈ k eɪ m-/ KAM-bree-ən, KAYM-) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. [5] The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordovician Period 486.85 Ma. [1]
Cambrian Period | Definition, Plants, & Animals | Britannica
Jan 11, 2025 · Cambrian Period, earliest time division of the Paleozoic Era and Phanerozoic Eon, lasting from 538.8 million to 485.4 million years ago. The Cambrian System, named by English geologist Adam Sedgwick for slaty rocks in southern Wales and southwestern England, contains the earliest record of abundant and varied life-forms.
Cambrian explosion - Wikipedia
The Cambrian explosion (also known as Cambrian radiation[1] or Cambrian diversification) is an interval of time beginning approximately 538.8 million years ago in the Cambrian period of the early Paleozoic, when a sudden radiation of complex life occurred and practically all major animal phyla started appearing in the fossil record. [2][3][4] It...
Cambrian Period | National Geographic
Learn more about a time period marked by an intense burst of evolution. The Cambrian period, part of the Paleozoic era, produced the most intense burst of evolution ever known. The Cambrian...
Cambrian Period - Natural History Museum
Oct 28, 2012 · The Cambrian* Period begins the Phanerozoic Eon, the last 542 million years during which fossils with hard parts have existed. It is the first division of the Paleozoic Era (542Ma -251Ma). Marine animals with mineralized skeletons make their first appearance in the shallow seas of the Cambrian, though only "small shelly fossils" (tiny shells ...
Cambrian Period - Geology Page
Feb 16, 2014 · The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from 541.0 ± 1.0 to 485.4 ± 1.9 million years ago (mya) and is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux.
Cambrian Period summary | Britannica
Cambrian Period, Oldest time division of the Paleozoic Era. During the Cambrian, 541–485.4 million years ago, there were widespread seas and several scattered landmasses. The largest continent was Gondwana. The average climate was probably warmer than today, with less variation between regions.
Cambrian Period - Fossils, Rocks, Animals | Britannica
Jan 11, 2025 · Cambrian Period - Fossils, Rocks, Animals: Cambrian rocks have a special biological significance, because they are the earliest to contain diverse fossils of animals. These rocks also include the first appearances of most animal phyla that have fossil records.
Cambrian - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Palaeozoic era and the Phanerozoic eon. It lasted from 541 million years ago to 485.4 million years ago. [1] Before it came the Ediacaran, and after it the Ordovician. Biologists have learnt quite a lot about the soft parts of Cambrian animals.
Cambrian Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
: of, relating to, or being the earliest period of the Paleozoic era of geological history or the corresponding system of rocks marked by fossils of nearly every major invertebrate animal group see geologic time. Love words? Need even more definitions?