The '''Cambrian''' period was the first period of the [[Paleozoic]] era. Following on from the [[Pre-Cambrian]], it lasted from approximately 543 million years to about 490 million years ago. It was followed by the [[Ordovician]] period. The Cambrian was named by the geologist Adam Sedgwick for Cambria,<ref>http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/sedgwick.html</ref> Latin for [[Wales]], which has large areas of rock originating in, and characteristic of, the period. | The '''Cambrian''' period was the first period of the [[Paleozoic]] era. Following on from the [[Pre-Cambrian]], it lasted from approximately 543 million years to about 490 million years ago. It was followed by the [[Ordovician]] period. The Cambrian was named by the geologist Adam Sedgwick for Cambria,<ref>http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/sedgwick.html</ref> Latin for [[Wales]], which has large areas of rock originating in, and characteristic of, the period. |