The Mesozoic Era lasted about 245 to 66 million years ago. This era is seen in several movies and books, with dinosaurs and tyrannosaurus rexes. New life forms evolved in this era after the Permian Extinction, making several organisms disappear. From mammals, to dinosaurs, to birds and flowering plants, new organisms blossomed, yet several of them disappeared at the end of this era.
Triassic Period
The Triassic Period lasted from 245 million years ago to 208 million year ago. Small, fast dinosaurs and tiny, nocturnal mammals first made their appearances it this period. Other animals such as Dimetrodon and Dicynodon roamed the lands in the Triassic period. Marine reptiles, such as Ichthyosaurs, swam in the seas. Several plants thrived in the Triassic Period. Some included ferns, glossopteris, cycads, horsetails, and conifers. These living organisms thrived in the hot and dry climate that the Triassic Period had, also having strong seasonality.
Jurassic Period
Lasting from 208 to 144 million years ago, the climate gradually changed throughout this period. It started with being hot and dry with no seasonality, but then changed to a warm and moist climate. There was no polar ice and there were vast flooded areas. Mammals such as Morganucodon lived in this time period, and dinosaurs like Diplodocus roamed the lands. The early form of a bird, Archaeopteryx, also lived in the Jurassic Period. Mammals now started to become more common and varied.
Cretaceous Period Starting with low temperatures and sea levels high, the Cretaceous Period later transitioned to sea levels dropping and greater extremes in temperatures between the poles and the equator. This period lasted from 144 to 66 million years ago, with dinosaurs flourishing. Triceratops and the oldest known ants, snakes, and butterflies appeared. Creodont, a mammal, also lived during this time. Plants such as magnolia and flowering plants flourished. At the end of this period, there was a mass extinction. Many organisms, including the dinosaurs, disappeared, ending the Mesozoic Era.
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