Mesozoic. The Mesozoic era /mɛzɵˈzoʊɪk/ is an interval of geological time from about 252 to 66 million years ago. It is also called the age of reptiles, a phrase introduced by the 19th century paleontologist Gideon Mantell who viewed it as dominated by reptiles such as Iguanadon, Megalosaurus, Plesiosaurus and what are now called Pseudosuchia.[1] The era began in the wake of the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest well-documented mass extinction in Earth's history, and ended with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, another mass extinction which is known for having killed off non-avian dinosaurs, as well as other plant and animal species. The Mesozoic was a time of significant tectonic, climate and evolutionary activity. The era witnessed the gradual rifting of the supercontinent Pangaea into separate landmasses that would eventually move into their current positions.
The climate of the Mesozoic was varied, alternating between warming and cooling periods. Geologic periods[edit] Dinosaurs and Plants - ZoomDinosaurs. Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.Click here to learn more. (Already a member? Click here.) Without plants, there would have been no dinosaurs (or any other land animals). Plants are at the base of the food web (also called the food chain). Another amazing thing that plants do is change the composition of the air. The development of plants was closely tied to the fate of the dinosaurs. Mesozoic Era Plants The Mesozoic landscape was very different that the modern-day landscapes. Conifers: During the Mesozoic Era, when the dinosaurs lived, conifers dominated the landscape. Mesozoic Era conifers included redwoods, yews, pines, the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria), cypress, Pseudofrenelopsis (a Cheirolepidiacean).
Cycadophytes: Cycadophytes included the Cycads and Cycadeoids (Bennettitales), plants with woody stems (some erect, some spherical) and very tough leaves. Mesozoic Era. Following both the Precambrian Time and the Paleozoic Era on the Geologic Time Scale came the Mesozoic Era. The Mesozoic Era is sometimes called the "age of the dinosaurs" because dinosaurs were the dominant animals for much of the era. After the Permian Extinction wiped out over 95% of ocean dwelling species and 70% of land species, the new Mesozoic Era began about 250 million years ago. The first period of the era was called the Triassic Period. The first big change was seen in the types of plants that dominated the land. Most of the species of plants that survived the Permian Extinction were plants that had enclosed seeds, like gymnosperms. Since most of the life in the oceans became extinct at the end of the Paleozoic Era, many new species emerged as dominant. After the end of the Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period began.
Land animals during the Jurassic Period had more diversity. The last of the periods within the Mesozoic Era was called the Cretaceous Period. The Mesozoic Era: Reptiles and Dinosaurs. The Mesozoic Era begins where the upheavals of the Permian Extinctions end. A mass extinction at the end of the Permian Period had eliminated most of the species of life that had existed throughout the Paleozoic Era. Sometimes called the Age of Dinosaurs because this era becomes dominated by dinosaurs and reptiles.
The ContinentsToward the end of the Paleozoic Era the land that would become Europe and Asia slammed into North America. By the time of the Mesozoic Era Pangea the super continent had formed. It was roughly the shape of a “C”. The huge land mass protected the Tethys Ocean which lay across tropical latitudes. Climate During The MesozoicThe temperatures, both on land and in the ocean, were much higher than during the Paleozoic, and climates were more tropical in nature. Within the three periods of the Mesozoic Era ( Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous) there were times of wide temperature and seasonal variation.
Preceeding the Mesozoic Era is the Paleozoic Era. Mesozoic era - Facts from the Encyclopedia.