The Paleozoic Biodiversity - discover and paint

Typology: Content exploration

Description: During the Paleozoic Era (550 - 250 million years) the Earth witnessed remarkable episodes of explosion, diversification and extinction of biodiversity. It was the time of the appearance and diversification of animals with shell and carapace, the appearance of predators, the appearance of the first fish, amphibians and reptiles and even the first plants, among many other occurrences. It was also the time when the three major extinction events took place, that then led to the disappearance of much of the biodiversity of our planet. This permanent dynamic, between episodes of diversification and extinction, in the geological times, is a constant in the evolution process and, consequently, responsible for current biodiversity.

Several biodiversity and extinction events, that occurred during the Paleozoic, are recorded in the rock outcrops in the Arouca Geopark territory. Thus, in 2010, when the International Year of Biodiversity was celebrated, AGA - Arouca Geopark Association, in partnership with the Municipality of Arouca and the artist Carlos Dias promoted the thematic exhibition «Paleozoic Biodiversity». Symbolically inaugurated on May 22, International Biodiversity Day, this exhibition included artistic works by Carlos Dias, of the most emblematic living beings of the Paleozoic Era, aiming to get the attention of the general public to the fact that, when we understand the changes suffered by the paleobiodiversity, we are also able to understand the need to protect the current biodiversity, according to the principle that “the past is the key to the future”!

Therefore, in this period of COVID-19 confinement, are available the resources produced in this exhibition: the leaflet, which has details some of the species and special events that occurred in each Period of the Paleozoic Era; illustrations to paint for the youngest, courtesy of the Geological Services of the Czech Republic. Discover the Paleozoic Biodiversity!

Suggestions for exploring the theme: download the resources provided in pdf files.