Solitary coral fossil, morocco, devonian period

Devonian Information

The Devonian Period (419–359 million years ago), known as the "Age of Fishes," was a time of major evolutionary advances in both marine and terrestrial life. The oceans were dominated by armored placoderm fish, early sharks, and lobe-finned fish like Tiktaalik, which had features that helped vertebrates transition to land. Coral reefs flourished, and ammonites became more diverse. On land, the first forests appeared, with early trees like Archaeopteris, leading to a drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate cooling. The first tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates) began evolving from fish, marking a critical step in the evolution of amphibians. The period ended with the Devonian extinction, likely caused by ocean anoxia and climate shifts, wiping out many marine species and reshaping ecosystems.