Carboniferous period

E45902

The Carboniferous period was a Paleozoic era interval, roughly 359 to 299 million years ago, characterized by extensive swampy forests that formed vast coal deposits and by the diversification of early amphibians and insects.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Paleozoic period
geological period
alsoKnownAs Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian)
Mississippian and Pennsylvanian in North America
Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian)
atmosphericOxygenLevel higher than present
up to about 30–35 percent
biologicalEvent development of extensive peat-forming ecosystems
diversification of winged insects
origin of amniotes
radiation of amphibians
climate generally warm and humid
subject to glaciations in Gondwana
continentConfiguration Laurasia in northern hemisphere
large supercontinent Gondwana in southern hemisphere
dominantFauna diverse insects
early amphibians
early reptiles
giant millipedes
large dragonfly-like insects
dominantFlora early gymnosperms
ferns
lycopsids
seed ferns
sphenopsids
duration about 60 million years
endTime about 299 million years ago
follows Devonian period
importantFor industrial coal resources
knownFor diversification of early amphibians
diversification of insects
extensive coal formation
high atmospheric oxygen levels
large arthropods
swampy forests
majorEnvironment coal-forming tropical wetlands
extensive coastal swamps
lush equatorial forests
namedAfter carbon
partOf Paleozoic era
precedes Permian period
recognizedBy International Commission on Stratigraphy
resultedIn major coal deposits in Asia
major coal deposits in Europe
major coal deposits in North America
startTime about 359 million years ago
stratigraphicSystem Carboniferous system
subdivision Mississippian
Pennsylvanian
tectonicContext assembly of Pangaea

Referenced by (16)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Carboniferous period ("Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian)")
Carboniferous period ("Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian)")
alsoKnownAs
Paleozoic Era ("Carboniferous Period")
Phanerozoic Eon ("Carboniferous Period")
contains
Colony of Pennsylvania ("Pennsylvanian")
Pennsylvania ("Pennsylvanian")
demonym
Bedford limestone ("Carboniferous")
Millstone Grit ("Carboniferous")
geologicPeriod
Permian Period ("Carboniferous Period")
follows
Indiana limestone
geologicalAge
Amadeus Basin ("Carboniferous")
geologicalPeriod
Lycopodiophyta
hadArborescentFormsIn
International Chronostratigraphic Chart ("Carboniferous Period")
includes
Carboniferous rainforest collapse ("Pennsylvanian subperiod")
occurredIn
Devonian Period ("Carboniferous Period")
precedes
Carboniferous period ("Carboniferous system")
stratigraphicSystem

Please wait…