| Carboniferous period 359. 2 - 299 million years ago ↓
|
|
 |
|
|
|
(163 % of modern level) |
|
|
(3 times pre-industrial level) |
|
|
(0°C above modern level) |
|
Key events in the Carboniferous
view • discuss •
-360 —
–
-355 —
–
-350 —
–
-345 —
–
-340 —
–
-335 —
–
-330 —
–
-325 —
–
-320 —
–
-315 —
–
-310 —
–
-305 —
–
-300 —
–
-295 —
An approximate timescale of key Carboniferous events. The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to million years ago. The Tournasian age is one of the three ages in the Mississippian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period The Viséan age is the middle of three ages in the Mississippian Subperiod of the Carboniferous Period. The Serpukhovian age is the last of three ages in the Mississippian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period The Bashkirian Age is the first of four ages in the Pennsylvanian Epoch of the Carboniferous period. The Moscovian Age is the second of four ages in the Pennsylvanian Epoch of the Carboniferous period. The Kasimovian Age is the third of four ages in the Pennsylvanian Epoch of the Carboniferous period. The Gzhelian Age is the last of four ages in the Pennsylvanian Epoch of the Carboniferous period. The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly to Ma (million years ago The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life"
Axis scale: millions of years ago. |
|
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. Prehistoric Park is a 6-episode Mini-series in documentary style from Impossible Pictures Limited, (the creators The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to million years ago. 2 ± 2. 5 Ma (million years ago), to the beginning of the Permian period, about 299. Annum is one form of the Latin noun meaning Year, not a form normally used for derivatives in modern languages the accusative singular The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 0 ± 0. 8 Ma (ICS, 2004)[4]. The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS, sometimes referred to by the unofficial " International Stratigraphic Commission " is a daughter or major Subcommittee
The Carboniferous was a time of glaciation, low sea level and mountain building; a minor marine extinction event occurred in the middle of the period.
Contents |
Subdivisions
The Carboniferous is usually broken into Pennsylvanian (later) and Mississippian (earlier) Epochs. The Faunal stages from youngest to oldest, together with some of their subdivisions, are:
Late Pennsylvanian: Gzhelian (most recent)
- Noginskian/Virgilian(pars)
Late Pennsylvanian: Kasimovian
- Klazminskian
- Dorogomilovksian/Virgilian(pars)
- Chamovnicheskian/Cantabrian/Missourian
- Krevyakinskian/Cantabrian/Missourian
Middle Pennsylvanian: Moscovian
- Myachkovskian/Bolsovian/Desmoinesian
- Podolskian/Desmoinesian
- Kashirskian/Atokan
- Vereiskian/Bolsovian/Atokan
Early Pennsylvanian: Bashkirian/Morrowan
- Melekesskian/Duckmantian
- Cheremshanskian/Langsettian
- Yeadonian
- Marsdenian
- Kinderscoutian
Late Mississippian: Serpukhovian
- Alportian
- Chokierian/Chesterian/Elvirian
- Arnsbergian/Elvirian
- Pendleian
Middle Mississippian: Visean
- Brigantian/St Genevieve/Gasperian/Chesterian
- Asbian/Meramecian
- Holkerian/Salem
- Arundian/Warsaw/Meramecian
- Chadian/Keokuk/Osagean(pars)/Osage(pars)
Early Mississippian: Tournaisian (oldest)
- Ivorian/Osagean(pars)/Osage(pars)
- Hastarian/Kinderhookian/Chouteau
Paleogeography
A global drop in sea level at the end of the Devonian reversed early in the Carboniferous; this created the widespread epicontinental seas and carbonate deposition of the Mississippian. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface In Chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or Ester of Carbonic acid. [5] There was also a drop in south polar temperatures; southern Gondwanaland was glaciated throughout the period, though it is uncertain if the ice sheets were a holdover from the Devonian or not. Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. [6] These conditions apparently had little effect in the deep tropics, where lush coal swamps flourished within 30 degrees of the northernmost glaciers. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. [7]
A mid-Carboniferous drop in sea-level precipitated a major marine extinction, one that hit crinoids and ammonites especially hard. Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the Echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals of the subclass Ammonoidea in the class Cephalopoda phylum [8] This sea-level drop and the associated unconformity in North America separate the Mississippian period from the Pennsylvanian period. An unconformity is a buried Erosion surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages indicating that Sediment deposition was not [9]
The Carboniferous was a time of active mountain-building, as the supercontinent Pangaea came together. Orogeny (Greek for "mountain generating" is the process of natural Mountain building and may be studied as a tectonic structural event as a geographical event and In Geology, a supercontinent is a Landmass comprising more than one Continental core or Craton. Pangaea, Pangæa or Pangea (pænˈdʒiːə from παν pan, meaning entire, and Γαῖα Gaea, meaning Earth in The southern continents remained tied together in the supercontinent Gondwana, which collided with North America-Europe (Laurussia) along the present line of eastern North America. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Euramerica (also known as Laurussia or Old Red Continent) was a minor Supercontinent created in the Devonian as the result of a collision between This continental collision resulted in the Hercynian orogeny in Europe, and the Alleghenian orogeny in North America; it also extended the newly-uplifted Appalachians southwestward as the Ouachita Mountains. The Variscan (or Hercynian) orogeny is a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic Continental collision between Laurasia The Alleghenian orogeny or Appalachian orogeny is one of the geological Mountain -forming events ( Orogeny) that formed the Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range located in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. [10] In the same time frame, much of present eastern Eurasian plate welded itself to Europe along the line of the Ural mountains. The Eurasian Plate is a Tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional Continents of Europe Riphean redirects here For the time period see Riphean stage The Ural Mountains (Ура́льские го́ры Uralskiye Most of the Mesozoic supercontinent of Pangea was now assembled, although North China (which would collide in the Latest Carboniferous), and South China continents were still separated from Laurasia. The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. South China continent, also known as South China craton (or the South Chinese craton or as Yangtze craton, was an ancient Continent ( Craton Laurasia (lɔˈreɪʃiə lɔˈreɪʒə was a Supercontinent that most recently existed as a part of the split of the Pangaean supercontinent in the late Mesozoic The Late Carboniferous Pangaea was shaped like an "O".
There were two major oceans in the Carboniferous—Panthalassa and Paleo-Tethys, which was inside the "O" in the Carboniferous Pangaea. Panthalassa ( Greek, meaning 'all seas' also known as the Panthalassic Ocean, was the vast global Ocean that surrounded the Supercontinent The Paleo-Tethys Ocean was an ancient Paleozoic Ocean. It was located between the Paleocontinent Gondwana and the so called Hunic terranes Other minor oceans were shrinking and eventually closed - Rheic Ocean (closed by the assembly of South and North America), the small, shallow Ural Ocean (which was closed by the collision of Baltica and Siberia continents, creating the Ural Mountains) and Proto-Tethys Ocean (closed by North China collision with Siberia/Kazakhstania. The Rheic Ocean was an Ocean in the Paleozoic Era that existed between to the north the Continent of Baltica (northern South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Ural Ocean was a small ancient ocean that was situated between Siberia and Baltica. Baltica redirects here For the Russian beer, see Baltika Breweries Baltica is a name applied by geologists to a late- Proterozoic, Riphean redirects here For the time period see Riphean stage The Ural Mountains (Ура́льские го́ры Uralskiye The Proto-Tethys Ocean was an ancient Ocean that existed from the latest Ediacaran to the Carboniferous (550-330 Ma) The North China Craton is one of the smaller Continental Cratons of the Earth. Siberia is the Craton located in the heart of the region of Siberia. Kazakhstania, also known as the Kazakhstan Block, is a small continental region in the interior of Asia.
Climate
The early part of the Carboniferous was mostly warm; in the later part of the Carboniferous, the climate cooled. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Global cooling in general can refer to an overall cooling of the Earth. Glaciations in Gondwana, triggered by Gondwana's southward movement, continued into the Permian and because of the lack of clear markers and breaks, the deposits of this glacial period are often referred to as Permo-Carboniferous in age. Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 The Permo-Carboniferous refers to the time period including the latter parts of the Carboniferous and early part of the Permian period
Rocks and coal
Carboniferous rocks in Europe and eastern North America largely consist of a repeated sequence of limestone, sandstone, shale and coal beds, known as "cyclothems" in the U. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by In Geology, cyclothems are alternating stratigraphic sequences of marine and non-marine Sediments, interbedded with Coal seams S. and "coal measures" in Britain. [11] In North America, the early Carboniferous is largely marine limestone, which accounts for the division of the Carboniferous into two periods in North American schemes. The Carboniferous coal beds provided much of the fuel for power generation during the Industrial Revolution and are still of great economic importance. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the
The large coal deposits of the Carboniferous primarily owe their existence to two factors. The first of these is the appearance of bark-bearing trees (and in particular the evolution of the bark fiber lignin). Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 Lignin or lignen is a complex Chemical compound most commonly derived from Wood and an integral part of the secondary Cell walls of Plants The second is the lower sea levels that occurred during the Carboniferous as compared to the Devonian period. The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to million years ago. This allowed for the development of extensive lowland swamps and forests in North America and Europe. A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Some hypothesize that large quantities of wood were buried during this period because animals and decomposing bacteria had not yet evolved that could effectively digest the new lignin. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 Those early plants made extensive use of lignin. They had bark to wood ratios of 8 to 1, and even as high as 20 to 1. This compares to modern values less than 1 to 4. This bark, which must have been used as support as well as protection, probably had 38% to 58% lignin. Lignin is insoluble, too large to pass through cell walls, too heterogeneous for specific enzymes, and toxic, so that few organisms other than Basidiomycetes fungi can degrade it. Basidiomycota is one of two large phyla that together with the Ascomycota, comprise the subkingdom Dikarya, which were in general what were called It can not be oxidized in an atmosphere of less than 5% oxygen. It can linger in soil for thousands of years and inhibits decay of other substances. [12] Probably the reason for its high percentages is protection from insect herbivory in a world containing very effective insect herbivores, but nothing remotely as effective as modern insectivores and probably much fewer poisons than currently. An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of Insects and similar small creatures In any case coal measures could easily have made thick deposits on well drained soils as well as swamps. The extensive burial of biologically-produced carbon led to a buildup of surplus oxygen in the atmosphere; estimates place the peak oxygen content as high as 35%, compared to 21% today. Carbon (kɑɹbən is a Chemical element with the symbol C and its Atomic number is 6 Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the [1] This oxygen level probably increased wildfire activity, as well as resulted in insect and amphibian gigantism--creatures whose size is constrained by respiratory systems that are limited in their ability to diffuse oxygen. A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and In Animal physiology, respiration is the transport of Oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues and the transport of Carbon dioxide
In eastern North America, marine beds are more common in the older part of the period than the later part and are almost entirely absent by the late Carboniferous. More diverse geology existed elsewhere, of course. Marine life is especially rich in crinoids and other echinoderms. Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the Echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata) are a phylum of marine Animals (including Sea stars) Brachiopods were abundant. Brachiopods (from Latin brachium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot are a small phylum of Benthic Invertebrates Also Trilobites became quite uncommon. Trilobites ("three-lobes" are extinct Arthropods that form the class Trilobita. On land, large and diverse plant populations existed. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Land vertebrates included large amphibians. Vertebrates are members of the Subphylum Vertebrata, Chordates with backbones or spinal columns The grouping sometimes includes
Life
Marine Invertebrates
In the oceans the most important marine invertebrate groups are the foraminifera, corals, bryozoa, brachiopods, ammonoids, and echinoderms (especially crinoids). The term " marine invertebrates " is used to describe animals found in a marine environment which are Invertebrates lacking a Notochord. The Foraminifera, ("Hole Bearers" or forams for short are a large group of Amoeboid Protists with reticulating Pseudopods fine Anthozoa is a class within the phylum Cnidaria that contains the Sea anemones and Corals Unlike other cnidarians anthozoans do not have a medusa Bryozoans are tiny colonial Animals that generally build stony Skeletons of Calcium carbonate, superficially similar to Coral (although some Brachiopods (from Latin brachium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot are a small phylum of Benthic Invertebrates Also Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals of the subclass Ammonoidea in the class Cephalopoda phylum Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata) are a phylum of marine Animals (including Sea stars) Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the Echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata
For the first time foraminifera take a prominent part in the marine faunas. The large spindle-shaped genus Fusulina and its relatives were abundant in what is now Russia, China, Japan, North America; other important genera include Valvulina, Endothyra, Archaediscus, and Saccammina (the latter common in Britain and Belgium). Some Carboniferous genera are still extant.
The microscopic shells of Radiolaria are found in cherts of this age in the Culm of Devonshire and Cornwall, and in Russia, Germany and elsewhere. Radiolarians (also radiolaria) are Amoeboid Protozoa that produce intricate Mineral Skeletons typically with a central capsule Chert (ˈtʃɝt is a fine-grained Silica -rich Microcrystalline, Cryptocrystalline or Microfibrous Sedimentary rock that may contain The River Culm flows through Devon, England. It rises in the Blackdown Hills at a spring - see OS map - near Culmhead and flows west through Hemyock Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar
Sponges are known from spicules and anchor ropes, and include various forms such as the Calcispongea Cotyliscus and Girtycoelia, and the unusual colonial glass sponge Titusvillia. The sponges or poriferans (from Latin porus "pore" and ferre "to bear" are Animals This article is about the skeletal structure See also Spicule (solar physics and Spicule (glass manufacture.
Both reef-building and solitary corals diversify and flourish; these include both rugose (e. In nautical terminology a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water (six fathoms or less at low water The Rugosa Rose is also sometimes just called "Rugosa" The Rugosa, also called the Tetracoralla, are an extinct order g. Canina, Corwenia, Neozaphrentis), heterocorals, and tabulate (e. The tabulate corals, forming the order Tabulata, are an Extinct form of Coral. g. Chaetetes, Chladochonus, Michelinia) forms.
Conularids were well represented by Conularia
Bryozoa are abundant in some regions; the Fenestellids including Fenestella, Polypora, and the remarkable Archimedes, so named because it is in the shape of an Archimedean screw. The Conulariida are a poorly understood extinct phylum Some doubt exists about whether they should even be assigned to the Animalia Structure The conulariids Bryozoans are tiny colonial Animals that generally build stony Skeletons of Calcium carbonate, superficially similar to Coral (although some The Archimedes' screw, Archimedean screw, or screwpump is a Machine historically used for transferring water from a low-lying body of water into Irrigation
Brachiopods are also abundant; they include Productids, some of which (e. Brachiopods (from Latin brachium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot are a small phylum of Benthic Invertebrates Also g. Gigantoproductus) reached very large (for brachiopods) size and had very thick shells, while others like Chonetes were more conservative in form. Athyridids, Spiriferids, Rhynchonellids, are Terebratulids are also very common. Spiriferida is an order of extinct articulate Brachiopod, Fossils of which are known for their long hinge-line which is often the widest part of the shell The Taxonomic order Rhynchonellida is one of the two main groups of living articulate Brachiopods the other being the order Terebratulida Terebratulids are one of only two living orders of articulate Brachiopods the other being the Rhynchonellida. Inarticulate forms include Discina and Crania. Discina is a genus of ascomycete fungi related to the False morels of the genus Gyromitra. Some species and genera had a very wide distribution with only minor variations.
Annelids such as Spirorbis and Serpulites are common fossils in some horizons. The annelids, collectively called Annelida (from Latin anellus "little ring" are a large phylum of Animals comprising Spirorbis is a genus of very small (2-5mm Polychaete worms usually with a white coiled shell
Among the mollusca, the bivalves continue to increase in numbers and importance. Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line Typical genera include Aviculopecten, Posidonomya, Nucula, Carbonicola, Edmondia, and Modiola
Conocardium is a common rostroconch. Aviculopecten is an Extinct Genus of bivalve Mollusc that lived from the Early Devonian to the Late Triassic Nucula is a genus of Clams of the family Nuculidae. Species Nucula aegeensis Jeffreys Carbonicola is an Extinct Genus of bivalve mollusk that lived in the Carboniferous Sources The Rostroconchia is a class of Extinct Mollusks dating from the early Cambrian to the late Permian.
Gastropods are also numerous, including the genera Murchisonia, Euomphalus, Naticopsis. The class Gastropoda or the gastropods, also previously known as gasteropods, or univalves, and more commonly known as Snails
Nautiloid cephalopods are represented by tightly coiled nautilids, with straight-shelled and curved-shelled forms becoming increasingly rare. Nautiloids are a group of marine Mollusks in the subclass Nautiloidea, which all possess an external shell the best-known example being the modern Nautiluses The cephalopods ( Greek plural (kephalópoda "head-feet" are the Mollusc class Cephalopoda characterized by Nautilida is an order of mostly prehistoric Cephalopods that includes the modern Nautiluses and their immediate ancestors and relatives Goniatite Ammonoids are common. Goniatites are an extinct group of ammonoid, which are shelled Cephalopods related to Squids Belemnites Octopuses Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals of the subclass Ammonoidea in the class Cephalopoda phylum
Trilobites are rare, represented only by the proetid group. Trilobites ("three-lobes" are extinct Arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Ostracods such as Cythere, Kirkbya, and Beyrichia are abundant. Ostracoda is a class of the Crustacea, sometimes known as the seed shrimp because of their appearance
Amongst the echinoderms, the crinoids were the most numerous. Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata) are a phylum of marine Animals (including Sea stars) Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the Echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata Dense submarine thickets of long-stemmed crinoids appear to have flourished in shallow seas, and their remains were consolidated into thick beds of rock. Prominent genera include Cyathocrinus, Woodocrinus, and Actinocrinus. Echinoids such as Archaeocidaris and Palaeechinus were also present. Archaeocidaris is an Extinct Genus of Echinoid that lived from the Late Devonian to the Late Permian. The Blastoids, which included the Pentreinitidae and Codasteridae and superficially resembled crinoids in the possession of long stalks attached to the sea-bed, attain their maximum development at this time. Blastoids (class Blastoidea are an Extinct type of stemmed Echinoderm.
 Aviculopecten subcardiformis; a bivalve from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio (external mold). Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line |
 Schizodus medinaensis; a bivalve from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio (internal mold). Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line |
 Syringothyris sp. ; a spiriferid brachiopod from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio (internal mold). Brachiopods (from Latin brachium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot are a small phylum of Benthic Invertebrates Also |
 Palaeophycus ichnosp. ; a trace fossil from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio. Trace fossils, also called ichnofossils (ˈɪknoʊfɒsɨl ιχνος or ikhnos meaning "trace" or "track" are geological records of biological |
 Helminthopsis ichnosp. ; a trace fossil from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio. Trace fossils, also called ichnofossils (ˈɪknoʊfɒsɨl ιχνος or ikhnos meaning "trace" or "track" are geological records of biological |
 Crinoid columnals from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio (external molds). Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the Echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata |
Fish
Many fish inhabited the Carboniferous seas; predominantly Elasmobranchs (sharks and their relatives). Elasmobranchii is the subclass of Cartilaginous fish that includes Skates rays (batoidea, and sharks (selachii. These included some, like Psammodus, with crushing pavement-like teeth adapted for grinding the shells of brachiopods, crustaceans, and other marine organisms. Other sharks had piercing teeth, such as the Symmoriida; some, the petalodonts, had peculiar cycloid cutting teeth. Symmoriida is an extinct order of sharks that contains three families Most of the sharks were marine, but the Xenacanthida invaded fresh waters of the coal swamps. Xenacanthida (or Xenacanthiforms) is an order of prehistoric Sharks that appeared during the Lower Carboniferous period Among the bony fish, the Palaeonisciformes found in coastal waters also appear to have migrated to rivers. Osteichthyes (ˌɒstiːˈɪkθiːz also called bony fish, are a taxonomic Class of Fish that includes the ray-finned fish ( Actinopterygii Palaeonisciformes is an extinct order of primitive ray-finned fishes. Sarcopterygian fish were also prominent, and one group, the Rhizodonts, reached very large size. Sarcopterygii (from Greek σαρξ sarx, flesh and πτερυξ pteryx, fin is traditionally the class of lobe-finned Fishes consisting Rhizodonts (Order Rhizodontida are an extinct group of predatory lobe-finned fishes
Most species of Carboniferous marine fish have been described largely from teeth, fin spines and dermal ossicles, with smaller freshwater fish preserved whole.
Freshwater fish were abundant, and include the genera Ctenodus, Uronemus, Acanthodes, Cheirodus, and Gyracanthus. Acanthodes is an extinct genus of Fish. It belonged to the Acanthodii, a group of early Fishes which are known for the defensive
Plants
Early Carboniferous land plants were very similar to those of the preceding Late Devonian, but new groups also appeared at this time. The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to million years ago.
The main Early Carboniferous plants were the Equisetales (Horse-tails), Sphenophyllales (vine-like plants), Lycopodiales (Club mosses), Lepidodendrales (scale trees), Filicales (Ferns), Medullosales (informally included in the "seed ferns", an artificial assemblage of a number of early gymnosperm groups) and the Cordaitales. The Equisetales is an order of pteridophytes with only one living genus Equisetum (horsetails Lycopodiopsida is a class of plants often loosely grouped as the fern allies, and includes the clubmosses Lepidodendrales (from Gr "scale tree" were primitive vascular arborescent ( Tree -like Plants related to the lycopsids ( Club mosses Pteridospermatophyta, also called seed ferns, is an extinct Spermatophyte group of the Plantae kingdom. Gymnosperm (Gymnospermae are a group of Spermatophyte seed-bearing Plants with Ovules on the edge or blade of an open Sporophyll, which are These continued to dominate throughout the period, but during late Carboniferous, several other groups, Cycadophyta (cycads), the Callistophytales (another group of "seed ferns"), and the Voltziales (related to and sometimes included under the conifers), appeared. The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly to Ma (million years ago Cycads are a group of Seed plants characterized by a large crown of compound leaves and a stout trunk.
The Carboniferous lycophytes of the order Lepidodendrales, which are cousins (but not ancestors) of the tiny club-moss of today, were huge trees with trunks 30 meters high and up to 1. 5 meters in diameter. These included Lepidodendron (with its fruit cone called Lepidostrobus), Halonia, Lepidophloios and Sigillaria. Lepidodendron (also known as the "Scale tree" is an Extinct Genus of primitive vascular arborescent ( Tree -like Plant Lepidodendron (also known as the "Scale tree" is an Extinct Genus of primitive vascular arborescent ( Tree -like Plant Sigillaria is a genus of extinct spore-bearing arborescent (tree-like plants which flourished in the Late Carboniferous period but dwindled to extinction in the early The roots of several of these forms are known as Stigmaria. Stigmaria are a type of branching tree root found fossil in Carboniferous rocks
The fronds of some Carboniferous ferns are almost identical with those of living species. Probably many species were epiphytic. Fossil ferns and "seed ferns" include Pecopteris, Cyclopteris, Neuropteris, Alethopteris, and Sphenopteris; Megaphyton and Caulopteris were tree ferns. Pecopteris was a Form genus of leaves from several unrelated plant groups that flourished the early Carboniferous period and on to c
The Equisetales included the common giant form Calamites, with a trunk diameter of 30 to 60 cm and a height of up to 20 meters. Calamites is a genus of Extinct arborescent (tree-like horsetails to which the modern Horsetails (genus Equisetum) are closely Sphenophyllum was a slender climbing plant with whorls of leaves, which was probably related both to the calamites and the lycopods.
Cordaites, a tall plant (6 to over 30 meters) with strap-like leaves, was related to the cycads and conifers; the catkin-like inflorescence, which bore yew-like berries, is called Cardiocarpus. The explosive is spelled Cordite. Cordaites is an important genus of extinct Gymnosperms which grew on wet ground similar to the Everglades A catkin or ament is a slim cylindrical flower cluster with inconspicuous or no petals usually Wind - pollinated ( anemophilous) but sometimes The explosive is spelled Cordite. Cordaites is an important genus of extinct Gymnosperms which grew on wet ground similar to the Everglades These plants were thought to live in swamps and mangroves. True coniferous trees (Walchia, of the order Voltziales) appear later in the Carboniferous, and preferred higher drier ground. Walchia is a fossil Conifer, cypress-like Genus of Upper Pennsylvanian, Carboniferous age about 290 mya.
Freshwater and Lagoonal Invertebrates
Freshwater Carboniferous invertebrates include various bivalve molluscs that lived in brackish or fresh water, such as Anthracomya, Naiadiles, and Carbonicola; diverse crustaceans such as Bairdia, Carbonia, Estheria, Acanthocaris, Dithyrocaris, and Anthrapalaemon. Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 Carbonicola is an Extinct Genus of bivalve mollusk that lived in the Carboniferous Sources Structure of crustaceans As Arthropods crustaceans have a stiff Exoskeleton, which must be shed to allow the animal to grow ( Ecdysis or molting Carbonia is a town in the Province of Carbonia-Iglesias, Sardinia, Italy.
The Eurypterids were also diverse, and are represented by such genera as Eurypterus, Glyptoscorpius, Anthraconectes, Megarachne (originally misinterpreted as a giant spider) and the specialised very large Hibbertopterus. The eurypterids (sea scorpions include the largest known Arthropod that ever lived (with the possible exception of Arthropleuridae) Glyptoscorpius is a genus of prehistoric Eurypterid. Species G Megarachne servinei was an Upper Carboniferous ( Pennsylvanian) Eurypterid found near Córdoba Argentina. Hibbertopterus is a genus of giant Sea scorpions (class Eurypterida) extinct 250 million years ago thought to have inhabited the Swamps of Many of these were amphibious.
Frequently a temporary return of marine conditions resulted in marine or brackish water genera such as Lingula, Orbiculoidea, and Productus being found in the thin beds known as marine bands.
Terrestrial Invertebrates
Fossil remains of air-breathing insects, myriapods and arachnids are known from the late Carboniferous, but so far not from the early Carboniferous. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Myriapoda is a Subphylum of Arthropods containing Millipedes Centipedes and others Arachnids are a class ( Arachnida) of joint-legged Invertebrate Animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. Their diversity when they do appear however show that these arthropods were both well developed and numerous. Their large size can be attributed to the moistness of the environment (mostly swampy fern forests) and the fact that there was a 36% higher oxygen concentration in Earth's atmosphere than today, requiring less effort for respiration and allowing arthropods to grow larger. Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " Among the insect groups are the huge predatory Protodonata (griffinflies), among which was Meganeura, a giant dragonfly and with a wingspan of ca. The Protodonata or Meganisoptera are an extinct order of very large to gigantic Palaeozoic ( Late Carboniferous to Late Permian) insects similar in appearance Meganeura monyi was a prehistoric Insect of the Carboniferous period (300 million years ago resembling and related to the present-day Dragonfly Anisoptera redirects here For the genus of trees see Anisoptera (tree. 75 cm the largest flying insect ever to roam the planet. Further groups are the Syntonopterodea (relatives of present-day mayflies), the abundant and often large sap-sucking Palaeodictyopteroidea, the diverse herbivorous "Protorthoptera", and numerous basal Dictyoptera (ancestors of cockroaches). Mayflies are Insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera (from the Greek ephemeros = "short-lived" pteron The Palaeodictyopteroidea or Paleodictyopterida are an extinct superorder of Palaeozoic beaked insects characterised by unique mouthparts consisting of 5 stylets The Protorthoptera are an extinct order of Palaeozoic insects and represent a Wastebasket taxon and Paraphyletic assemblage of basal Neoptera In Phylogenetics, a basal Clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade it appears at the base of a cladogram Dictyoptera includes three groups of polyneopterous insects - cockroaches ( Blattaria) termites ( Isoptera) and mantids ( Mantodea) Cockroaches (or simply "roaches" are Insects of the order Blattaria. Many insects have been obtained from the coalfields of Saarbruck and Commentry, and from the hollow trunks of fossil trees in Nova Scotia. Saarbrücken (ˈzaːɐ̯ˈbrʏkn in German; Sarrebruck is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. Commentry is a commune in the department of Allier in central France. Some British coalfields have yielded good specimens: Archaeoptitus, from the Derbyshire coalfield, had a spread of wing extending to more than 35 cm; some specimens (Brodia) still exhibit traces of brilliant wing colors. In the Nova Scotian tree trunks land snails (Archaeozonites, Dendropupa) have been found.
Tetrapods
Carboniferous amphibians were diverse and common by the middle of the period, more so than they are today; some were as long as 6 meters, and those fully terrestrial as adults had scaly skin. Pederpes is an Extinct genus of mid- Mississippian Tetrapod. It had a large somewhat triangular head similar to that of Whatcheeria Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and [13] They included a number of basal tetrapod groups classified in early books under the Labyrinthodontia. Labyrinthodont ( Greek, "maze-toothed" is an obsolete term for any member of an extinct superorder or subclass (Labyrinthodontia of Amphibians These had long bodies, a head covered with bony plates and generally weak or undeveloped limbs. The largest were over 2 meters long. They were accompanied by an assemblage of smaller amphibians included under the Lepospondyli, often only about 15 cm long. Lepospondyli are a group of small but diverse Carboniferous to early Permian Amphibians Six different Clades are known the Acherontiscidae Some Carboniferous amphibians were aquatic and lived in rivers (Loxomma, Eogyrinus, Proterogyrinus); others may have been semi-aquatic (Ophiderpeton, Amphibamus) or terrestrial (Dendrerpeton, Hyloplesion, Tuditanus, Anthracosaurus). Eogyrinus was one of the largest Carboniferous Tetrapods, and perhaps one of the largest of its family Proterogyrinus was an Anthracosaur, which means that it belongs to a group of advanced amphibians with reptilian characteristics consequently they are sometimes Ophiderpeton is an extinct genus of lepospondyl Amphibian from the Carboniferous period Amphibamus is a Genus of dissorophorid Temnospondyl Amphibian from the Carboniferous (middle Pennsylvanian Dendrerpeton is an extinct genus of amphibian They are generally found associated with hollows of the Lepidodendron and Sigillaria tree genera for which Anthracosaurus is an Extinct genus of Labyrinthodont that lived in the Carboniferous period
One of the greatest evolutionary innovations of the Carboniferous was the amniote egg, which allowed for the further exploitation of the land by certain tetrapods. The amniotes are a group of Tetrapod Vertebrates that include the Synapsida ( Mammals and Mammal-like reptiles and Sauropsida Tetrapods ( Greek τετραποδη tetrapoda, Latin Quadruped, "four-footed" are Vertebrate Animals These included the earliest Sauropsid reptiles (Hylonomus), and the earliest known synapsid (Archaeothyris). Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Hylonomus ( hylo- "forest" + nomos "wanderer" was an early Reptile. Synapsids ('fused arch' also known as theropsids ('beast face' are a class of Animals that includes Mammals and everything closer to mammals than Archaeothyris was an Amniote, which lived 320 million years ago in the Middle Carboniferous Period These small lizard-like animals quickly gave rise to many descendants. The amniote egg allowed these ancestors of all later birds, mammals, and reptiles to reproduce on land by preventing the desiccation, or drying-out, of the embryo inside. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers An embryo (from Greek:, plural, lit "that which grows" from en- "in" + bryein "to swell be full" is a multicellular By the end of the Carboniferous period, the amniotes had already diversified into a number of groups, including protorothyridids, captorhinids, aeroscelids, and several families of pelycosaurs. The amniotes are a group of Tetrapod Vertebrates that include the Synapsida ( Mammals and Mammal-like reptiles and Sauropsida Protorothyrididae was a Clade of small lizard-like reptiles possibly the ancestors of Turtles and Tortoises. Captorhinidae (also known as cotylosaurs or 'stem reptiles' were the earliest and most primitive reptiles Araeoscelidia or Araeoscelida is a Clade of extinct Diapsid Reptiles superficially resembling Lizards. In Biological classification, family ( Latin The pelycosaurs (from Greek πηλυξ pelyx meaning 'bowl' and σαυρος sauros meaning 'lizard' were primitive Late Paleozoic
Fungal life
Because plants and animals were growing in size and abundance in this time (e. g. , Lepidodendron), land fungi diversified further. Lepidodendron (also known as the "Scale tree" is an Extinct Genus of primitive vascular arborescent ( Tree -like Plant A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ Marine fungi still occupied the oceans.
Other life forms
Extinction events
In the middle Carboniferous, an extinction event occurred that was probably caused by climate change. An extinction event (also known as mass extinction; extinction-level event, ELE is a sharp decrease in the number of Species in a relatively short period Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences A less intense extinction event also occurred at the end of Carboniferous.
See also
- Carboniferous tetrapods
- Important Carboniferous Lagerstätten
- Hamilton Quarry; 320 mya; Kansas, US
- Mazon Creek; 300 mya; Illinois, US
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
Footnotes
- ^ http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Sauerstoffgehalt-1000mj.svg
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Phanerozoic_Carbon_Dioxide.png
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:All_palaeotemps.png
- ^ Gradstein, F. Carboniferous Tetrapods include amphibians and reptiles that lived during the Carboniferous Period. A Lagerstätte ( German; literally place of storage; plural Lagerstätten) is a sedimentary deposit that exhibits extraordinary fossil Hamilton Quarry is a fossil Lagerstätte near Hamilton, Kansas, United States. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " The Mazon Creek fossils are conservation Lagerstätten found near Morris, in Grundy County Illinois. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. This is a worldwide list of important and/or well-known localities where Fossils have been found M. ; Ogg, J. G. ; Smith, A. G. (2004). A Geologic Time Scale 2004. Cambridge university press.
- ^ Steven M. Stanley, Earth System History. (New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1999), 414.
- ^ Stanley, 414.
- ^ Stanley, 416.
- ^ Stanley, 414.
- ^ Stanley, 414.
- ^ Stanley, 414-6.
- ^ Stanley, 426.
- ^ Robinson JM 1990 Lignin, land plants, and fungi: Biological evolution affecting Phanerozoic oxygen balance. Geology 10; 607-610, on p608.
- ^ Stanley, 411-12.
References
- Ogg, Jim; June, 2004, Overview of Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSP's) http://www.stratigraphy.org/gssp.htm Accessed April 30, 2006. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
- Stanley, Steven M. Earth System History. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1999. ISBN 0-7167-2882-6
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
External links
- Geologic Time Scale 2004. International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). Retrieved on September 19, 2005.
- Examples of Carboniferous Fossils
| Carboniferous period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippian | Pennsylvanian | ||||
| Lower/Early | Middle | Upper/Late | Lower/Early | Middle | Upper/Late |
| Tournaisian | Viséan | Serpukhovian | Bashkirian | Moscovian | Kasimovian | Gzhelian |
| Paleozoic era | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambrian | Ordovician | Silurian | Devonian | Carboniferous | Permian |
Dictionary
carboniferous
-adjective
- Containing or producing carbon
Carboniferous
-adjective
- (geology) of a geologic period within the Paleozoic era; comprises the lower, middle and upper Mississippian and lower, middle and upper Pennsylvanian epochs from about 345 to 280 million years ago, when coal was laid down
-noun
- (geology) the Carboniferous period
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic