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Carboniferous

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A natural limestone and sandstone formation at Red Wharf Bay in Wales, showcasing fascinating layers formed over millions of years.

The Carboniferous

The Carboniferous was a long time ago, about 358 million to 299 million years back. It was part of the Paleozoic era, after the Devonian Period and before the Permian Period. This time is very important because it gave us coal!

People first named the Carboniferous in 1822. It means “coal-bearing” because lots of coal formed then. Big, wet forests and swamps grew everywhere. Over millions of years, these plants turned into the coal we use today.

Life was changing a lot during the Carboniferous. The first animals with four legs, like early frogs and their friends, walked on land. Insects, spiders, and other bugs also grew big and busy. The world looked very different, with continents moving to form a big land called Pangaea.

The climate was warm and wet for much of this time. But later, it got colder, and big glaciers formed. This change made the forests shrink a little, but life kept growing and changing in amazing ways. The Carboniferous helps us understand how our planet and its animals have changed over time.

Images

Chart showing different regional subdivisions of the Carboniferous period compared to international standards.
A roadcut showing layers of sedimentary rock from the Pennsylvanian period in Kentucky, USA.
A map showing where the continents were located during the early Carboniferous period, around 348 million years ago.
A map showing where the continents were located about 302 million years ago during the late Carboniferous period.
Ancient plants from the Carboniferous period, illustrated in a historical book from 1890.
An ancient fossilized plant, likely Sigillaria, with roots preserved in stone from the Joggins Formation in Nova Scotia.
A fossilized lycopsid plant from the Carboniferous period, showing its root structure, on display at the West Virginia Geologic Survey.
An ancient clam fossil from the Mississippian period found in Ohio.
Fossilized sea creatures from ancient Ohio, showing bivalves and brachiopods preserved in stone.
A fossilized brachiopod from the Carboniferous period, showcasing ancient marine life from Ohio.
An ancient trace fossil from the Logan Formation, showing evidence of early life from over 300 million years ago.
A fossilized snail from ancient times, found preserved on a plant-like sea creature called a crinoid.
An ancient fossil of a Conulariid from the Mississippian period found in Indiana.

Related articles

Paleozoic
Devonian
Permian
Coal
Pangaea

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Carboniferous, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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