Devonian Period
419-359 million years ago
About this Period
Age of Fishes and first forests
Known as the "Age of Fishes," the Devonian period saw unprecedented diversification in aquatic life and the momentous transition of vertebrates from water to land.
Fish diversity reached its peak, with sharks rising to prominence alongside both ray-finned and lobe-finned fish. The fearsome Dunkleosteus—an armored placoderm up to 10 meters long with crushing jaws—dominated as one of the era's apex predators.
Perhaps most significantly, this period witnessed the evolution of the first tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates). Lobe-finned fish developed limb-like fins, with creatures like Tiktaalik representing transitional forms between fish and land animals. Meanwhile, the first true forests appeared, with trees reaching up to 30 meters tall, significantly altering Earth's atmosphere.
The period ended with a major extinction event that particularly affected marine life and collapsed reef ecosystems.
The Devonian's dual legacy—fish diversity and the conquest of land—shaped the future of vertebrate evolution.
