Mesozoic
Published: November 21, 2008, 9:46 pm
Updated: August 23, 2011, 11:09 am
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Mark McGinley Introduction
The Mesozoic Era is divided into three time periods: the Triassic (245-208 Million Years Ago), the Jurassic (208-146 Million Years Ago), and the Cretaceous (146-65 Million Years Ago).
Mesozoic means "middle animals", and is the time during which the world fauna changed drastically from that which had been seen in the Paleozoic. Dinosaurs, which are perhaps the most popular organisms of the Mesozoic, evolved in the Triassic, but were not very diverse until the Jurassic. Except for birds, dinosaurs became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous. Some of the last dinosaurs to have lived are found in the late Cretaceous deposits of Montana in the United States.
The Mesozoic was also a time of great change in the terrestrial vegetation. The early Mesozoic was dominated by ferns, cycads, ginkgophytes, bennettitaleans, and other unusual plants. Modern gymnosperms, such as conifers, first appeared in their current recognizable forms in the early Triassic. By the middle of the Cretaceous, the earliest angiosperms had appeared and began to diversify, largely taking over from the other plant groups.
Life in the Mesozoic
| |
The first mammals also arrived on the scene in the Mesozoic, descended from a lineage of so-called "mammal-like reptiles," or synapsids. This is Thrinaxodon, an extinct relative of mammals from the Triassic. (Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology)
|
Further Reading
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Delete This Article
Are you absolutely sure you want to remove this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Remove This Article
Citation
University of California Museum of Paleontology (Lead Author);Mark McGinley (Topic Editor) "Mesozoic". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth November 21, 2008; Last revised Date August 23, 2011; Retrieved June 18, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mesozoic>
The Author
The mission of the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) is to investigate and promote the understanding of the history of life and the diversity of the Earth's biota through research and education. UCMP is an active center of national and international research and houses one of the nation's largest collections of fossils as well as state-of-the-art facilities for the study of these fossils.
UCMP has the largest paleontological collection of any university museum in the world. ... (Full Bio)
Introduction
The Mesozoic Era is divided into three time periods: the Triassic (245-208 Million Years Ago), the Jurassic (208-146 Million Years Ago), and the Cretaceous (146-65 Million Years Ago).
Mesozoic means "middle animals", and is the time during which the world fauna changed drastically from that which had been seen in the Paleozoic. Dinosaurs, which are perhaps the most popular organisms of the Mesozoic, evolved in the Triassic, but were not very diverse until the Jurassic. Except for birds, dinosaurs became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous. Some of the last dinosaurs to have lived are found in the late Cretaceous deposits of Montana in the United States.
The Mesozoic was also a time of great change in the terrestrial vegetation. The early Mesozoic was dominated by ferns, cycads, ginkgophytes, bennettitaleans, and other unusual plants. Modern gymnosperms, such as conifers, first appeared in their current recognizable forms in the early Triassic. By the middle of the Cretaceous, the earliest angiosperms had appeared and began to diversify, largely taking over from the other plant groups.
Life in the Mesozoic
| |
The first mammals also arrived on the scene in the Mesozoic, descended from a lineage of so-called "mammal-like reptiles," or synapsids. This is Thrinaxodon, an extinct relative of mammals from the Triassic. (Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology)
|
Further Reading
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Delete This Article
Are you absolutely sure you want to remove this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Remove This Article
Site Options
Dinosaurs and other archosaurs, such as the pterosaurs, dominated the land biota. (Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology)
Cycads and Bennettitaleans were among the dominant land vegetation. (Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology)
0 Comments
Add Comment