Because the Iapetus Ocean was positioned between continental masses that would at a much later time roughly form the opposite shores of the Atlantic Ocean, it can be seen as a sort of precursor of the Atlantic.
Como o oocéano de Xápeto estaba siruado entre as masas continentais que moito tempo despois formarían aproximadamente as beiras opostas do océano Atlántico, pode considerarse o precursor do Atlántico.