The Palaeozoic fauna

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The Palaeozoic fauna 1. Sepkoskis Curves 2.
The Palaeozoic fauna 3. Brachiopods 4.
Corals 5. Graptolites 6. Predators 7.
Ecological overview
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1. Sepkoskis Curves
Family diversity
Palaeozoic diversity plateau
Palaeozoic fauna
End Permian extinction
Ordovician radiation
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2. Palaeozoic fauna
Lie-in-wait predators
Corals and other barrier builders
Brachiopods and other filter feeders
Graptolites and other plankton
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3. Brachiopods
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4. Corals
Corals are cnidarians like jellyfish and
sea anemones
Basic coral morphology
Coral diversity through time
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5. Graptolites
Pterobranch
Planktonic graptoloid
Benthic dendroid
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6. Predators
Trilobites Nautiloids Conodonts
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7. Ecological overview
1. Palaeozoic fauna takes over slowly 2. Fauna
reaches higher diversity than before 3.
Includes mud grubbers like trilobites from
Cambrian fauna 4. Includes filter feeders and
macrozooplankton 5. Increased niche space above
seafloor 6. Includes greater predator
pressure 7. Survives mass extinctions at end
Ordovician and end Devonian 8. Wiped out at end
Permian