what era was the paleozoic era in ?
The Paleozoic Era. The Paleozoic Era, meaning ancient life is the first of three eras that form a part of the Phanerozoic Eon, the other two periods being the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. The Mesozoic is the age of the Dinosaurs and the Cenozoic is the era in which we now live. The Paleozoic Era spanned a longer period of time, from approximately 542 Ma to 251 Ma. Just as the Mesozoic is divided into periods (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous), the Paleozoic Era is also divided.