Article 27: During the Jurassic Period, the supercontinent Pangea splits apart. The period is a golden age for the large herbivorous dinosaurs. The Jurassic also sees the first birds, including Archaeopteryx.
Article 26: During the Triassic, the survivors of the Permian extinction spread and recolonize. Coelophysis is an early dinosaur. Near the end of the period, the first mammals evolve.
Article 23: The Devonian is notable for the rapid diversification in fish. Near the end of this period, a mass extinction event occurs, considered to be the second of the ‘big five’ mass extinction events of Earth’s history.
Article 22: The Silurian sees the healing of the Earth. The warm, stable climate provides for one of the most significant developments: the arrival of the first plants to colonize the land.
Article 21: Perhaps the most groundbreaking occurrence of the Ordovician is the colonization of the land. The end of the Ordovician is a ‘Snowball Earth’ period, the first mass extinction in the history of our planet.
Article 20: The Cambrian is the springtime for life on our planet. It is the time when most of the major groups of animals first appear in the fossil record.