The Carboniferous in Louisiana, US

Paleontology and geology

Louisiana, as such, did not exist during this time. It formed later, on the southern edge of North America after North and South America separated during the breakup of Pangea. However, the shallow seas that covered the area were home to molluscs, crinoids, brachiopods, and trilobites. Fossils of these organisms were incorporated into the rock that later eroded out and served as a source of gravel brought down into Louisiana by rivers. Molds of these marine animals are common fossils found in these gravels.