The Carboniferous Period lasted 60 million years and saw the formation of Pangea, excess atmospheric oxygen, and the evolution of lignin in trees. Large coal deposits formed and fueled the first industrial revolution. Gigantic amphibians and insects evolved, while ancient species like the trilobite began to go extinct.
The Carboniferous Period (meaning “carbon bearer”) is a geological period lasting about 60 million years, between the Devonian Period 340 million years ago (mya) and the Permian Period 280 mya.
During the Carboniferous period swamps and forests flourished, producing an excess of atmospheric oxygen up to 80% above today’s levels and massive amounts of decaying organic matter. This organic matter eventually turned into coal after millions of years of pressure from the soil and rock above it, and is responsible for the existence of large deposits of coal in England and western Europe. These coal seams, originating in the Carboniferous period, fueled the first industrial revolution and continue to be mined for coal today.
The Carboniferous period was when the famous supercontinent Pangea formed, about 300-345 million years ago. It was formed when several smaller continents pushed into each other, giving rise to the Appalachians, the Atlas Mountains and the Ural Mountains. Pangea was so large that its center was very dry, but the coastal areas flourished with large and exotic flora and fauna. During the Carboniferous Period, it was possible for animals to migrate from the North Pole to the South Pole. The excess of oxygen from floral overgrowth led to gigantism in some amphibians and insects, including the largest insect ever evolved, an ancestor of the dragonfly , with a wingspan of 73 cm (29 in). Brachiopods were common during the Carboniferous Period, and ancient species like the trilobite began to go extinct.
The large carbon deposits produced during the Carboniferous period were due to two main factors: the evolution of the bark on trees in the form of the organic polymer lignin; and lower sea levels, allowing forests and swamps to grow on plains that would previously have been flooded. Lignin has been a decisive evolutionary boon for many trees, protecting them from the outside world and making them less digestible for animals. It took many millions of years for bacteria and animals to evolve capable of digesting lignin effectively, resulting in large accumulations of organic material on the ground, sometimes exceeding 2 m (6.5 ft) in height. Lignin still makes up a quarter to half of the wood when dry. It is formed inside the plant by removing water from some sugars.
The Carboniferous period can be divided into a number of shorter sub-periods, each lasting about 10 million years: the Tournaisian, Viséan, Serpukhovian, Bashkirian, Moscovian, Kasimovian and Gzhelian periods.
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