Carboniferous Period

The Carboniferous is a geologic period and this is a system of the Paleozoic which spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period. 

The word ‘Carboniferous’ means ‘coal bearing’ also it derives its name from the Latin word ‘carbo’ which means ‘coal’ and ‘fero’ which means ‘I bear or I carry’. This was coined by geologists named William Conybeare and William Phillips in the year 1882.

This originated from the study of the British rock succession. This reflects the fact that many of the coal beds were formed during this time. In North America, this period is being treated as two geological periods, the earlier Mississippian and the later one as Pennsylvanian.  

Carboniferous Period 

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The Carboniferous Period existed from 359.2 to 299 million years ago. During the late Paleozoic Era, Carboniferous Period time lined. The term "Carboniferous" comes from the country England, this was named indicating the rich deposits of coal that occurred in the site. These deposits of coal extensively occurred throughout the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and in the midwestern and eastern North America. 

In addition to inheriting the ideal conditions to form the coal, many biological, geological and other climatic events occurred at this time. Talking about the biological change, this was evident at this time that one of the greatest evolutionary innovations of the Carboniferous took place – the amniote egg. This instigated further exploitation of the land by certain other tetrapods. It also gave the ancestors of birds, mammals, and other reptiles the ability to lay their eggs on the land without the fear of desiccation. 

Geologically instance, the Late Carboniferous period were in a collision of the Laurasia (which in present-day Europe, Asia, and North America) into the Gondwana (in present-day Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, and India) together produced the Appalachian Mountain belt located in eastern North America and the Hercynian Mountains of the United Kingdom. There was a further collision of Siberia and eastern Europe which created the Ural Mountains in Russia.

About the climate, there was a trend close to mild temperatures during the Carboniferous, which was evidenced by the decrease in lycopods and other large insects, and also caused an increase in the number of tree ferns.

Carboniferous Age

Carboniferous Period marks the fifth interval of the Paleozoic Era, which succeeds the Devonian Period and is being preceded by the Permian Period. To describe in absolute terms, the Carboniferous Period began about 358.9 million years ago while the period ended 298.9 million years ago. The duration of this period is approximately 60 million years. This makes it the longest period in the Paleozoic Era.  While this period is the second-longest period of the Phanerozoic Eon. The rocks which were formed or being deposited during the period also include the Carboniferous System. 

Carboniferous Period Major Events 

Shifting of the Continents and Creating Mountains .

The large landmasses of the Euramerica and the Gondwana continued to move towards each other until they collided during the Carboniferous Period. This collision uplifted the land forming mountains.

While these mountains had no plants which covered them. During the rainy seasons, huge amounts of surface rock washed into the flood plains and the deltas. 

Invertebrates Contributed to the Formation of Limestone.

In the earlier time of the Carboniferous Period, the Mississippian Epoch of North America was covered by warm and shallow seas. Many animals living in these waters shed their shells which led to the formation of limestone. 

The Lophophorate

There were many bryozoans who lived in the shallow seas in the Carboniferous Period. Bryozoans are the filter-feeding animals that formed colonies or remained attached to the rock surfaces. Brachiopods covered the seafloor. These bi-valves looked like clams, but they actually are related to the bryozoans. They both are the members of the phyla Lophophorate.

The Trilobites

The trilobite was less usual during the early Carboniferous or during the Mississippian and this was headed for extinction.

Plants Put the Carbon in the Carboniferous System

New plants grew during this time of the warm, humid, and swampy environment. Many large trees covered with bark and huge ferns thrived in the middle of these swamps. During this time the pants emitted much oxygen in the air thus, the air content had much more oxygen in it. 

Carboniferous Period Fossils

This is a tour of life over geological time and evolution that was evidenced by the fossil record:

• Precambrian Fossils

• Cambrian Fossils

• Ordovician Fossils

• Silurian Fossils

• Devonian Fossils

• Carboniferous Fossils

• Permian Fossils

• Triassic Fossils

• Jurassic Fossils

• Cretaceous Fossils

• Tertiary Fossils

Following are the pictures of the fossils of the Carboniferous Period which was 360 to 286 million years ago. 

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Cyclus obesus, Crustacean. Mazon Creek, Illinois. 

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This is an extremely rare harpagofututor, Shark Fossils. 

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Etacystis Communis

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Protecticus Ambulans