Mississippian facts for kids

The Mississippian is the first geological epoch in the Carboniferous geological period. It began about 359 million years ago and ended 323.

The names Mississippian and Pennsylvanian are used in North America, because they match the strata there. Geologists from elsewhere mostly use just 'Carboniferous', or they use the official terms for stages, as defined by the International Commission for Stratigraphy.

During the Mississippian the sea level was high, and much of North America was covered by a shallow sea. The strata are mostly layers of marine limestones.

Geologic history

Precambrian (4.567 gya – 541 mya)
In the left column are Eons, bold are Eras, not bold are Periods. gya = billion years ago, mya = million years ago
Hadean (4.567 gya – 4 gya)	Chaotian Zirconian
Archaean (4 gya – 2.5 gya)	Eoarchaean (4 gya – 3.6 gya) Palaeoarchaean (3.6 gya – 3.2 gya) Mesoarchaean (3.2 gya – 2.8 gya) Neoarchaean (2.8 gya – 2.5 gya)
Proterozoic (2.5 gya – 541 mya)	Palaeoproterozoic (2.5 gya – 1.6 gya) Siderian (2.5 gya – 2.3 gya) Rhyacian (2.3 gya – 2.05 gya) Orosirian (2.05 gya – 1.8 gya) Statherian (1.8 gya – 1.6 gya) Mesoproterozoic (1.6 gya – 1 gya) Calymmian (1.6 gya – 1.4 gya) Ectasian (1.4 gya – 1.2 gya) Stenian (1.2 gya – 1 gya) Neoproterozoic (1 gya - 541 mya) Tonian (1 gya – 720 mya) Cryogenian (720 mya – 635 mya) Ediacaran (635 mya – 541 mya)

Phanerozoic (541 mya – today)
In the left column are Eras, bold are Periods, not bold or italics are Epochs, Italics are stages. kya = thousand years ago, mya = million years ago
Palaeozoic (541 mya – 252.17 mya)	Cambrian (541 mya – 485.4 mya) Ordovician (485.4 mya – 443.4 mya) Silurian (443.4 mya – 419.2 mya) Devonian (419.2 mya – 358.9 mya) Carboniferous (358.9 mya – 298.9 mya) Mississippian (358.9 mya – 323.2 mya) Pennsylvanian (323.2 mya – 298.9 mya) Permian (298.9 mya – 252.17 mya)
Mesozoic (252.17 mya – 66.0 mya)	Triassic (252.17 mya – 201.3 mya) Lower Triassic (252.17 mya – 247.2 mya) Middle Triassic (247.2 mya – 237 mya) Upper Triassic (237 mya – 201.3 mya) Jurassic (201.3 mya – 145 mya) Lower Jurassic (201.3 mya – 174.1 mya) Middle Jurassic (174.1 mya – 163.5 mya) Upper Jurassic (163.5 mya – 145 mya) Kimmeridgian (157.3–152.1 mya) Cretaceous (145 mya – 66.0 mya) Lower Cretaceous (145 mya – 100.5 mya) Upper Cretaceous (100.5 mya – 66.0 mya)
Cainozoic (66.0 mya – today) Tertiary (66.0 mya – 1.806 mya)	Palaeogene (66.0 mya – 23.03 mya) Palaeocene (66.0 mya – 56 mya) Eocene (56 mya - 33.9 mya) Oligocene (33.9 mya – 23.03 mya) Neogene (23.03 mya – 2.588 mya) Miocene (23.03 mya – 5.333 mya) Pliocene (5.333 mya – 2.588 mya) Quaternary (2.588 mya – today) Pleistocene (2.588 mya – 11.7 kya) Holocene (11.7 kya - today)