1	Late Paleozoic: Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, Permian
2	Earth in the Carboniferous ~ 354 to 290 ma Geography & Climate Cyclic transgressions/regressions, ~every 1 million years Euramerica (Laurussia) collides with Gondwana Siberia collides with Europe Uniform, tropical, humid climate Famous for its vast coal swamps Lower Carboniferous- mostly marine in NA Upper Carbonifersous- extensive terrestrial forests Life: Development of an amniote egg
3	Time Scale Dissention “Carboniferous” , ~ 354 to 290 ma Named for coal-rich exposures in n. England This term used worldwide EXCEPT in USA “Mississippian” & “Pennsylvanian” , ~ 354 to 290 ma USA stratigraphy nomenclature differs Lower Carboniferous = Mississippian ~354-325 Ma Upper Carboniferous= Pennsylvanian ~325-290 Ma Used to distinguish coal-bearing layers of the Pennsylvanian from the mostly limestone Mississippian
4	Lower Carboniferous (Mississipppian) The Setting: Transgression & Regression Begins with rise in sea level Epeiric seas Created vast limestone deposits Exposed- Mississippi Valley, but not in Europe “Mississippian” synonymous with “limestone”! By late Mississippian, seas had retreated Spread of floodplain & deltaic environments Late M & Early P rocks show consistent cyclic patterns Sandstone-shale-limestone Represent deltaic deposits from rivers flowing from se Canada
5	Cyclic Patterns: Cyclothems Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) Almost all Pennsylvanian rocks contain cyclothems Cyclothem- repetitive pattern of: River deposits at the base of section Cross-bedded sandstones Conglomerates Channel structures Overlain by coal & plant-bearing shales Overlain by marine deposits Brackish water deposits Marine fossiliferous shales Limestones 40 cyclothems are preserved in Penn. rocks; possibly 100 through Permian
6	Pennsylvanian Cyclothems: Causes 1 million year intervals between individual transgression/regression cycles In Early paleozoic– were 10’s of millions of years between cycles Indicates rapid fluctuations in sea level Most likely due to Gondwana glaciations Further affected by upward warping of craton in e. NA
7	Carboniferous-to-Permian Tectonics Mississippean Subduction: a passive margin goes active Volcanism/volcanic associated with subduction Pennsylvanian.- Appalachian (Alleghanian) Orogeny begins Collision between Gondwana & s. Euramerica Pangaea Supercontinent Uplift of southern Appalachian region begins Marathon-Ouchita region (sw TX, s.central OK) Overprinting of main Appalachian region Continues through Permian & Triassic Represents final upheaval of Appalachian Mountains
8	Pangaea Supercontinent Late Pennsylvanian thru Permian (& Triassic) Pangaea-“The supercontinent of supercontinents” Multiple collisions occurred ~ simultaneously to create Pangaea Appalachian Orogeny- collision of s. Euramerica and Gondwana Hercynian Orogeny- collision of n. Africa & Europe Ural Mountains- collision of Siberia and Europe S. China- still separated
9	Pangaea, ~255 ma
10	Appalachian Orogeny of North America Enormous upward thrusting of the entire region Faulting (thrust) &folding of entire region Displaced enormous crustal sheet (6-15 km thick, including Cryptozoic basemen) westward at least 260 km! Further uplifted Appalachians, extended uplift southwestward Ouachita Mountains Metamorphosis of igneous & sedimentary rock Carbonate rocks- became marble Shales- became slate Coals- some became anthracite Other strata- became shcists or quartzites Probably reached heights of greater than 4 ½ miles e.g. Himalyas of today! Erosion has significantly reduced elevations
11	Appalachian Orogeny
12	Life of the Carboniferous Early Mississippian –mostly marine Crinoids-flourishing Bryozoans-particularly fenestellids Brachiopods-dominated the sea floor Trilobites- increasingly scarce Foraminifers-abundant Sharks- largest is the xenocanth, up to 7 ft
13	Life of the Carboniferous Late Missippian/Pennsylvanian- Coal swamps dominate land worldwide Decline of coastal areas = decline of reefs 1^st appearance of freshwater clams Gastropods- abundant, including 1^st land snails bony fish (ray-finned fish)-dominant predators Sharks (Chondrichthyes ) – more diverse Spread of Land Animals Insects- dragonflies, mayflies, cockroaches, millipedes, scorpions, & spiders. (Take over the forests!) Tetrapods- Amphibians, amniote animals primitive reptiles, synapsids (mammal-like reptiles)
14	Coal Swamps Coastal plain swamps w/jungle-like vegetation Like Everglades of FL today Vast quantities of plant material made peat, which transformed into coal by compaction Forest trees: Scaly-barked lycopsid trees dominate, reach 100 ft. Lepidodendron, Sigillaria- most common Ferns & Fern Trees Spenopsids (scouring rush): Calamites- most common Gymnosperms (female/male seed cones) begin to flourish in drier areas Similar flora & fauna on NA, Europe & n. Africa
15	Mid-Late Carboniferous Swamps
16	Mid-Late Carboniferous Swamps Amphibians Temnospondyls- crocodile-like, eyes on top of head Anthracosaurs- reptilian ancestor. Reptilian-like
17	Earth in the Permian, ~ 290 to 248 ma Characterized by a giant land mass, Pangaea, a single ocean, the Panthalassa, and the Tethys sea on the east side of Pangea. Extensive mountain building Climate- rainshadows created extensive midcontinental deserts Permian Life- ended largest mass extinction on Earth, to this day
18	Permian Climate & Geography New global geography influenced oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns Extreme temperature gradients. Very cold @ high latitudes; tropical in between. Climate ‘zones’ formed; seasons present Tethys Sea- tropical Caspian, Black & Mediterranean- Relic Tethys Sea Flora & Fauna species were widespread, with only latitudinal barriers Low diversity of animals Cooler, drier continental areas favor seed plants
19	Position of Continents The Paleozoic Paleomap Project by Christopher Scotese
20	Folding in Carboniferous & Permian Strata, Ingeborgfjellet , Svalbard
21	Terrestrial Plants of the Permian Gymnosperms replace lycopsid swamp forests Seed ferns- most primitive gymnosperm 1^st modern conifers (pines, spruce, redwoods) Ginkgo & cycad trees True ferns flourish in understory
22	Terrestrial/Swamp Animals of the Permian Insects- dominate land Cockroaches, beetles flourish Amphibians- Eryops-. 7 feet long, 285 lbs! Diplocaulus Reptiles- 15 late Permian genera Synapsids- 170 late Permian genera Dimetrodon- 7 ft, 220 lbs. Fish eater Diadectes- herbivorous Moschops- herbivorous
23	Marine Life of the Permian North America- shallow Seas restricted to western & southwestern USA Permian reef complexes of w.Texas & New Mexico Fusilinids abundant Productid brachopods like Leptodus Calcareous sponges & algae create the reef Crinoids Solitary rugosid corals Sharks
24	Late Paleozoic Mass Extinction Largest Mass Extinction ever to have affected Earth. Occurred in less than 500,000 years. 90% to 95% of marine species & 70% of all land organisms became extinct Plants changed gradually over a 30 million year period, well into the Triassic Primitive synapsids & reptiles replaced by advanced vertebrates Caused by not 1 catastrophic event; but several. All suggest climatic instablity. Glaciation in Middle Permian followed by rapid global warming in Late Permian Loss of habitat and environmental stress (cooling & dryiing followed by runaway greenhouse effect Massive basaltic volcanism causing climate change Ash clouds blocking sunlight Sulfates outgassed into atmosphere Carbon-dioxide poisoning Carbon isotopes at Permian-Traissic boundary show dramtic change Suggests CO2 had catastrophically surged from deep ocean to the surface, poising marine creatures