Carboniferous Flashcards
What does the Carboniferous mark? (Mississippian-Pennsylvanian)?
MAJOR proliferation of forests and swamps
Heavily dominated the Carboniferous period
Causes coal deposits to cover vast land areas
How are Carboniferous swamps recorded?
BY GLOBAL COAL DEPOSITS
Where does most of the world’s coal and nearly all of U.S. come from?
Which 5 PLACES in the world has most of the coal? Much much (%)?
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
THE BIG 5 has 75%
USA
CHINA
INDIA
RUSSIA
AUSTRALIA
What did the Carboniferous do to the atmosphere? Significance of Carboniferous regarding atmosphere?
Photosynthesis from these large plants raised oxygen levels greatly and lowered carbon dioxide
HIGHEST OXYGEN LEVELS EVER
What is the Carboniferous notable for regarding organisms?
Fostered the reign of GIANT ARTHROPODS on Earth
What were the largest land arthropods ever?
Millipedes: ARTHROPLEURA
UP TO 8.5 FEET
What was an insect that the Carboniferous introduced?
Dragonflies: MEGANEURA
Wingspan of up to 2 feet
LARGEST FLYING INSECTS EVER
How did arthropods get so big during the Carboniferous?
Arthropods can not diffuse oxygen easily since they have no lungs or veins
Because of the high amounts of oxygen during the Carboniferous, higher oxygen levels penetrated deeper into the insect and allowed it to GROW
MORE OXYGEN = BIGGER BUGSES
LESS OXYGEN = SMALLER BUGS
What occurred due to the high amounts of oxygen during the Carboniferous?
High amounts of oxygen meant lower atmospheric carbon dioxide = Weakened greenhouse effect which leads to global cooling
Ultimately to a NEW ICE AGE
What happened to Gondwanaland during this ice age of the Carboniferous?
Gondwanaland would build up new glaciers just like the glaciers at the end of the Ordovician
Shortlived, and CO2 would rebound
How is the evidence of glaciers on Gondwanaland during the Carboniferous tie in with Alfred Wegener?
Alfred Wegener would use this evidence of glaciation to support his idea of CONTINENTAL DRIFT
