North Carolina- Natural History

By imelda6
  • 251

    Mesozoic: Triassic

    Appalachian Mountains began to erode.At this time, NC probably lay near the equator.
  • 416

    Paleozoic: Devonian

    Plants took over the land. First wingless insects appeared. Also, the first lungfish appeared; they were followed by amphibians.
  • 444

    Paleozoic: Silurian

    Appalachian Mountains were formed. The first vascular plants appeared along with the first plants on land.
  • 542

    Paleozoic: Cambrian

    The broadest groupings of animals appeared. NC was underwater and the Kings Mountain Belt was formed, about 540 million years ago.
  • Feb 28, 1000

    Neo-Proterozoic

    First fossil of multi-celled animals survived. Land beneath NC was pulled apart and inland seas emerged.
  • Meso-Proterozoic Era

    • Green algae colonies appeared in the seas. Also, the first mountains were formed in North Carolina. they were called the Grenville Mountains.
  • Mesozoic: Triassic

    • Dinoaurs appeared and became dominant. Ichthyosaurs and nothosaurs became dominant in the seas and pterosaurs became dominant in the air.
  • Paleozoic: Ordovician

    In the oceans, invertebrates diversified into many new types. The first green plants and fungi appeared on land.
  • Paleozoic: Carboniferous/ Mississippian

    First vertebrates appeared on land, in coastal swamps. Early sharks were getting more common in the oceans. Regions in the Appalachain mountains were covered with trees.
  • Paleozoic: Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian

    Amphibians were diverse and common. The first reptiles appeared.
  • Paleozoic: Permian

    Amphibians remained common but small. Reptiles got larger and diversified. Climate cooled, scale trees flourished in-near tropical conditions.The Appalachian Mountains were finally complete.