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 Swampy tropical forests covered the continents during the Carboniferous Period. Over time and under pressure, the remains of these forests would become the great coal fields mined for fuel today.
Chicago had previously been an underwater reef, but during this time it became a great forest that supported a surprising diversity of plants, insects, and spiders. Chicago’s Mazon Creek area today produces some of the world’s best fossils from the Carboniferous Period.
Examine these ancient forests in more detail by selecting from the following:
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Basic Overview
Hear the full story of how tropical forests, home to amazing insects and other creatures, took over much of the world and eventually became the vast coal deposits of today.
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Image Gallery
View images of Carboniferous plants and animals, and check out some of the world’s most spectacular fossils from this period, which come from the Mazon Creek area near Chicago.
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Featured Specimen
Hear the fascinating story of the “Tully monster,” an unusual creature that lived in the shallow bays of Mazon Creek. Found only Illinois so far, it’s our state fossil! |
Continue to Basic Overview. >>
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