[27][31] These collisions were associated with volcanic activity and plutons, but by the Late Devonian the tectonic situation had relaxed and much of South America was covered by shallow seas. Devonian palaeogeography was dominated by the supercontinent of Gondwana to the south, the small continent of Siberia to the north, and the medium-sized continent of Laurussia to the east. The distribution of nonmarine fish and marine invertebrate fossils demonstrates that Europe, Siberia, and the Canadian Arctic islands were linked and formed the bulk of Laurussia. It began about 408.5 Ma ago and ended about 362.5 Ma ago. Here's what Earth looked like during the "Age of the Fishes.". The positions of the microcontinents that later came together to form Asia are rather uncertain, but many of them probably were either attached or adjacent to the northern margin of Gondwana and migrated north to fuse with the growing area of Asia at several junctures during the later Phanerozoic Eon. Lily-like crinoids (animals, their resemblance to flowers notwithstanding) were abundant, and trilobites were still fairly common. The rest of the Armorican terranes followed, and by the end of the Devonian they were fully connected with Laurussia. . Devonian/Began What era is Ordovician period? It is important to note that the arthropods were already on land before the Devonian. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Various smaller continents, microcontinents, and terranes were present east of Laurussia and north of Gondwana, corresponding to parts of Europe and Asia. The new forests, dominated by the first trees, created a new biosphere and altered global carbon cycling. Lycophytes, horsetails and ferns grew to large sizes and formed Earths first forests. Although con-odont survivorship is comparable to survi-z-o-CS z ul u Cu w IL 'C 1-50 75 100 125 150 my Sponges (ToL: Porifera