Carboniferous

Carboniferous The penultimate period of the Palaeozoic Era, from about 360–286 Ma ago, preceded by the Devonian and followed by the Permian. In Europe the lower part of the period is termed the Dinantian. It is divided into two stages and is characterized by marine limestones with a rich coral-brachiopod fauna. In contrast, the upper part, the Silesian, which is subdivided into three stages, is noted for the deposition of terrestrial and freshwater sediments. N. American geologists subdivide the Carboniferous into two periods or subperiods. Of these the lower is named the Mississippian and is the equivalent of the Dinantian stages (the Tournaisian and Visean). The upper period, the Pennsylvanian, is the equivalent of the Silesian. During the Carboniferous, very lush, swamp forests dominated the landscape in low-lying areas, where minor changes in sea-level alternately exposed land supporting forest then inundated and buried the vegetation. The forests were dominated by Lycopsida and Calamitaceae, some of which grew to the size of trees (see CALAMITES CISTIIFORMES and LEPIDODENDRON SELAGINOIDES), and the forest floor supported ferns and seed ferns. The buried vegetation was compressed and changed through time to form the rich coal measures of southern Wales, England, Scotland, the USA, and many other areas world-wide, in which recognizable seed plants are common fossils.