Period C

Carboniferous

358.8600 – 298.9000 Ma

The Carboniferous 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 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.

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Carboniferous
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© Scotese, Christopher R.; Vérard, Christian; Burgener, Landon; Elling, Reece P.; Kocsis, Ádám T. · CC BY 4.0
News 1
Episode 175/176: Insect Gigantism
Can respiration be key to understanding gigantism in Carboniferous insects
02/05/2026 palaeocast
Parent interval
Paleozoic Era
Sub-intervals 2
Mississippian
358.8600 – 323.4000
Pennsylvanian
323.4000 – 298.9000