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Geologic Time Scale: The Paleozoic Era

By , About.com Guide

The Paleozoic Era is the earliest part of the Phanerozoic Eon, starting 542 million years ago. This table lists all the subdivisions of the Paleozoic. Details beneath the table.

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 PennsylvanianGzhelian303.4-299.0
Kasimovian307.2-303.4
Middle PennsylvanianMoscovian311.7-307.2
Early PennsylvanianBashkirian318.1-311.7
Mississippian
(Carboniferous)
Late MississippianSerpukhovian328.3-318.1
Middle MississippianVisean345.3-328.3
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
Katian455.8-445.6
Sandbian460.9-455.8
Middle OrdovicianDarriwillian468.1-460.9
Dapingian471.8-468.1
Early OrdovicianFloian478.6-471.8
Tremadocian488.3-478.6
CambrianFurongianStage 10492-488.3
Stage 9496-492
Paibian499-496
Series 3Guzhangian503-499
Drumian506.5-503
Stage 5510-506.5
Series 2Stage 4515-510
Stage 3521-515
TerreneuvianStage 2528-521
Fortunian542-528
PeriodEpochAgeDates (m.y.)
(c) 2009 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com, Inc. (fair use policy). Data from Geologic Time Scale of 2009.

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 more than 2 million years uncertainty and the Cambrian units are still being refined, but the rest of the chronology is more securely known.

The dates shown on this geologic time scale were specified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy in 2009, and the colors were specified by the Committee for the Geologic Map of the World in 2009.

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