Carboniferous
Carboniferous The penultimate period of the Palaeozoic Era, from about 359.2–299 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 three stages and is characterized by marine limestones with a rich coral-brachiopod fauna. In contrast the upper part, the Silesian, which is subdivided into four stages, is noted for the deposition of terrestrial and freshwater sediments. The vast forests of the Upper Carboniferous gave rise to the rich coal measures of S. Wales, England, Scotland, and many other areas Worldwide. N. American geologists subdivide the Carboniferous into two sub-periods. Of these the lower is named the Mississippian and is the equivalent of the Dinantian stages (the Tournaisian, Visean, and Serpukhovian). The upper period, the Pennsylvanian, is the equivalent of the Silesian.
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Carboniferous
