Overview - Timescale, Physical Landscapes

During the Silurian period, the height of the continents as a whole was much lower than today, and the level of the world's oceans was much higher. The melting of the Late Ordovician glaciers caused a rapid rise in sea level. This sea-level rise contributed to changing climatic conditions and allowed many animal groups to recover from the Late Ordovician extinction. It also led to the spread of shallow seas over vast areas of several continents.

• 443.8 - 419.2 ma
  
• Division of Paleozoic era
  
  Phanerozoic eon
  
  • Silurian Period
    
    
    • Llandovery
      
      • Rhuddanian
        
      • Aeronian
        
      • Telychian
        
      
      
      
    
    
    • Wenlock
      
      • Sheinwoodian
        
      • Homerian
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
    • Ludlow
      
      • Gorstian
        
      • Ludfordian
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
    • Pridoli
      
    
    
    
  
  
  

The most significant difference between the Silurian period and the present physical environment is that the continents were at lower elevations and sea levels were much higher throughout the world. Vast continental areas were submerged by shallow seas. The deposition of evaporites (salts) occurred periodically due to decreasing oceanic circulation in geographically restricted areas such as shallow dikes.