Final answer:
The Precambrian era transitioned to the Paleozoic era with the Cambrian explosion, which led to a dramatic increase in complex multicellular life. The period concluded with the Permian extinction event. Significant developments included the evolution of diverse life forms and major geological changes like the formation of supercontinents.
Step-by-step explanation:
Transition from the Precambrian to the Paleozoic Era
The events that separated the Precambrian from the Paleozoic era mark significant milestones in Earth's history. The Precambrian time, which encompasses the vast majority of Earth's history, came to an end approximately 541 million years ago. This transition to the Paleozoic Era is characteristically defined by the Cambrian explosion, a period characterised by a rapid diversification and emergence of complex multicellular life forms. Similarly, the end of the Paleozoic Era was marked by the Permian extinction, the most severe mass extinction event in Earth's history, resulting in significant loss of biodiversity.
During the entire span of the Paleozoic, life evolved from simple forms to more complex organisms. The era saw the emergence of invertebrate animals in the oceans, and later, the colonization of land by plants, amphibians, and reptiles. Major geological events also occurred, such as the
formation of supercontinents like Laurasia and eventually Pangaea, changing the global climate and influencing the evolutionary pathway of the vertebrates.