Silurian Geology

The long history of the Earth is divided into a number of named time periods or 'systems'. The Silurian System is a time period when life on Earth was still at an early stage. These pages give a broad introduction to the Earth in Silurian times.

Geology is a science requiring vast amounts of information to be collected and carefully analysed over the whole world. After painstaking work, patterns emerge and correlations are made. Any single specimen of rock can give vital information about the development of the planet in those times. It is a tribute to the many amateur and professional geologists over the past 150 years that so much is now known about such distant times.

The Silurian geological system lasted about 30 million years starting at about 440 million years before the present day.

It was an age when life began to move from the sea to land, well before the time of amphibians, dinosaurs, mammals and birds. In fact, the Silurian is twice as far back in time as the age of the dinosaurs. It is still relatively young compared to the age of the Earth and the earliest known forms of life.

Follow the links for more information about different aspects of Silurian times.

Silurian Origins	Background to the Silurian System.
Where was your area in the Silurian ?	A series of maps of the world showing the positions of continental land masses in mid-Silurian times.
Major geological events	How the Silurian system fits into the history of the Earth.
Life on Earth	How life was developing during the Silurian.
Life in the USA	Silurian rocks in the United States.
Fossil Gallery	Information about individual organisms that lived during the Silurian.