Dictionary > Silurian

Silurian

silurian
(Science: geology) Of or pertaining to the country of the ancient silures; a term applied to the earliest of the paleozoic eras, and also to the strata of the era, because most plainly developed in that country.
The Silurian formation, so named by Murchison, is divided into the upper Silurian and Lower Silurian. The lower part of the Lower Silurian, with some underlying beds, is now separated under the name Cambrian, first given by Sedwick. Recently the term ordovician has been proposed for the Lower Silurian, leawing the original word to apply only to the Upper Silurian.
Origin: From L. Silures, a people who anciently inhabited a part of England and Wales.


You will also like...

Biological Viruses
Biological Viruses

Viruses possess both living and non-living characteristics. This unique feature distinguishes them from other organisms...

Buttress roots
Roots

This study guide tackles plant roots in greater detail. It delves into the development of plant roots, the root structur..

Angle Oak Tree
Seed Plants

Seed plants are vascular plants. They differ from the other vascular plants in producing seeds that germinate into a new..

Chromosome Mutations
Chromosome Mutations

Mutations can also influence the phenotype of an organism. This tutorial looks at the effects of chromosomal mutations, ..

Plant Water Regulation
Plant Water Regulation

Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..

A chart depicting Mendel's Law of Dominance
Mendel’s Law & Mendelian Genetics

One of Mendel’s law of inheritance is the “law of dominance”. Read this tutorial to know more about this form of i..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics