Cambrian

The Exciting Cambrian Time

The Cambrian was a very old time, from about 539 million years ago to 487 million years ago. It was the first part of a big chunk of Earth's history called the Paleozoic Era. During this time, Earth looked very different from today. Most land was in the southern half of the planet, with a huge ocean called the Panthalassa Ocean all around.

A Burst of Life

The Cambrian is most famous for something called the Cambrian explosion. This was when many new kinds of animals appeared very quickly in the ocean. Before this time, most living things were very simple. But during the Cambrian, many new sea creatures came to life. This is why scientists think this time was very important for life on Earth.

Where It All Began

The word Cambrian comes from an old name for Wales, called Cambria by ancient Romans. Scientists first studied rocks from this time in Wales. A scientist named Adam Sedgwick gave the Cambrian its name in 1831. He worked with another scientist, Roderick Murchison, to help figure out when the Cambrian began and ended.

Earth’s Changing Face

During the Cambrian, big landmasses like Gondwana and Laurentia were slowly moving. These lands were separated by oceans, such as the Iapetus Ocean. The world had warm weather with lots of carbon dioxide in the air. These changes helped new kinds of life grow and change in the oceans.

The Cambrian was a wonderful time when Earth’s oceans came alive with many new creatures, changing our planet forever.