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Geologic Time Scale: The Paleozoic Era

PeriodEpochAgeDates (m.y.)
PermianLopingianChianghsingian253.8-251.0
Wuchiapingian260.4-253.8
GuadalupianCapitanian265.8-260.4
Wordian268.0-265.8
Roadian270.6-268.0
CisuralianKungurian275.6-270.6
Artinskian284.4-275.6
Sakmarian294.6-284.4
Asselian299.0-294.6
Pennsylvanian
(Carboniferous)
Late PennsylvanianGzhelian303.9-299.0
Kasimovian306.5-303.9
Middle PennsylvanianMoscovian311.7-306.5
Early PennsylvanianBashkirian318.1-311.7
Mississippian
(Carboniferous)
Late MississippianSerpukhovian326.4-318.1
Middle MississippianVisean345.3-326.4
Early MississippianTourniaisian359.2-345.3
DevonianLate DevonianFamennian374.5-359.2
Frasnian385.3-374.5
Middle DevonianGivetian391.8-385.3
Eifelian397.5-391.8
Early DevonianEmsian407.0-397.5
Pragian411.2-407.0
Lochkovian416.0-411.2
SilurianPridoli
418.7-416.0
LudlowLudfordian421.3-418.7
Gorstian422.9-421.3
WenlockHomerian426.2-422.9
Sheinwoodian428.2-426.2
LlandoveryTelychian436.0-428.2
Aeronian439.0-436.0
Rhuddanian443.7-439.0
OrdovicianLate OrdovicianHirnantian445.6-443.7
unnamed455.8-445.6
unnamed460.9-455.8
Middle OrdovicianDarriwillian468.1-460.9
unnamed471.8-468.1
Early Ordovicianunnamed478.6-471.8
Tremadocian488.3-478.6
CambrianLate Cambrianunnamed???-488.3
Paibian501.0-???
Middle Cambrian
513-501
Early Cambrian
542-513
PeriodEpochAgeDates (m.y.)
(c) 2005 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com, Inc. (fair use policy). Data from Geologic Time Scale of 2004.

Back to the top-level geologic time scale

This geologic time scale represents the working edge of historical geology, showing the latest names and dates of the smallest divisions of geologic time that are universally recognized. The Paleozoic Era is the first part of the Phanerozoic Eon. For anyone but specialists, the rounded-off dates in the Phanerozoic table are sufficient. Each of these dates also has a specified uncertainty, which you can look up at the source. For example, the Silurian and Devonian age boundaries have nearly 3 million years uncertainty, but the rest of the chronology is more securely known.

The dates and colors shown on this geologic time scale were specified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy in 2004.

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