The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 419.2 ± 3.2 Mya (million years ago), to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 358.9 ± 0.4. It is named after Devon, England, where rocks from this period were first studied.The Devonian period experienced the first significant adaptive radiation of terrestrial life.