The Carboniferous period
358.86 to 298.9 million years ago · Paleozoic era. Ages from the ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart.
The Earth about 330 million years ago (Merdith et al. 2021 plate model). Explore this period on the timeline: 300 Ma · 330 Ma
| Began | 358.86 million years ago |
|---|---|
| Ended | 298.9 million years ago |
| Era | Paleozoic |
| Epochs | Mississippian (358.86–323.4 Ma), Pennsylvanian (323.4–298.9 Ma) |
| Duration | 60.0 million years |
About the Carboniferous
The Carboniferous ( KAR-bə-NIF-ər-əs) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era that spans 60 million years, from the end of the Devonian Period 358.86 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Permian Period, 298.9 Ma. It is the fifth period of the Phanerozoic eon. In North America, the Carboniferous is often treated as two separate geological periods, the earlier Mississippian and the later Pennsylvanian.
The name Carboniferous means "coal-bearing", from the Latin carbō ("coal") and ferō ("bear, carry"), and refers to the many coal beds formed globally during that time. The first of the modern "system" names, it was coined by geologists William Conybeare and William Phillips in 1822, based on a study of the British rock succession.
Featured animals of the Carboniferous (8)
Diplocaulus307.4–254.14 Ma
Acanthostega443.1 Ma to the present
Eryops323.4–266.9 Ma
Edaphosaurus303.7–274.4 Ma
Orthoceras483.4–205.7 Ma
Eurypterus443.1–307.4 Ma
Meganeura303.7–298.9 Ma
Arthropleura346.7–290.1 MaText in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Carboniferous (revision 1380624760), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim. Ages and colours: ICS chart (v2024/12) via the Paleobiology Database.