Carboniferous
Precambrian | Carboniferous → Permian
Prehistoric eras: Precambrian • Carboniferous • Permian • Jurassic • Cretaceous
1900-1929: 1906 • 1908 • 1912 • 1915 • 1917 • 1918 • 1920 • 1922 • 1923 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929
'40s: 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949
'60s: 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969
'80s: 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989
The Carboniferous is a geologic period of Earth's history spanning 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period 358.9 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, 298.9 Mya. In some teachings, it is divided into two subperiods: the Mississippian, lasting 358.9-323.4 Mya, and the Pennsylvanian, lasting from 323.4-298.9 Mya. It was the penultimate period of the Paleozoic Era.
In the real world
- The supercontinent of Pangea forms.
- In this era, the first reptiles and synapsids emerge, and many different species of giant arthropods evolve, including the ancestors and relatives of many modern insects, arachnids, and myriapods. These large sizes among arthropods were thought to have been due to higher atmospheric oxygen levels and a lack of natural predators. The giant dragonfly-like insect Meganeura (the real-life inspiration for Toho's Meganulon, Meganula and Megaguirus) appeared, thrived, and eventually became extinct during the Late Carboniferous, circa 305-299 million years ago. Trilobites still inhabit the seas, but they are not as diverse as in previous periods.
- Rainforests and swamps cover large portions of the equatorial regions, while the Karoo Glaciation occurs in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Towards the end of this period, an event known as the Carboniferous rainforest collapse causes the decline and fragmentation of the rainforests as the global climate becomes cooler and more arid. This contributes to declines among invertebrates (including various arthropods of this time) and amphibians, while sauropsids and synapsids begin to further diversify.
In fiction
- The Meganulon (Meganulon hory) and Meganula (Meganula luisae) are among the strongest creatures alive. An egg containing large numbers of Meganulons, including their queen, is suddenly pulled through to 2000 as a result of the Dimension Tide's first test. (Godzilla vs. Megaguirus)
Gallery
Meganulon fed upon by a Pteranodon
Meganula swarm a Baryonyx
Megaguirus preys on a Pteranodon
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