Carboniferous
/ˌkɑːbəˈnɪf(ə)rəs
/adjective Geology
1Relating to or denoting the fifth period of the Palaeozoic era, between the Devonian and Permian periods.The surface structure, especially in the Zilair Nappe and the Carboniferous and Permian sediments that form the frontal structure in the west, is well constrained by field data....
- Fossils of the group are mostly Cenozoic, though some Permian and Carboniferous fossils are also known.
- The northern margin of the fold-thrust belt is composed of sedimentary sequences of Middle to Upper Devonian and Carboniferous rocks.
1.1 [as noun] (the Carboniferous) The Carboniferous period or the system of rocks deposited during it.
The Carboniferous lasted from about 363 to 290 million years ago. During this time the first reptiles and seed-bearing plants appeared, and there were extensive coral reefs and coal-forming swamp forests.