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Mesozoic Era: The Age of Dinosaurs

Explore the Mesozoic Era, known as the middle era, occurring 248 to 65 million years ago. Discover the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, major geological events, first appearances of plants and animals, dominant species like dinosaurs, and the catastrophic meteorite impact theory.

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Mesozoic Era: The Age of Dinosaurs

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  1. Mesozoic Era(Age of the Dinosaurs) Three Periods Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous

  2. MESOZOIC ERA • KNOWN AS THE MIDDLE ERA • TIMEFRAME: Occurred between 248 to 65 million years ago

  3. IMPORTANT EVENT Time marked by rapid movements of plates A major geologic event of the Mesozoic was the break-up of the super continent of Pangaea into several large continents. HAD WARM CLIMATE

  4. Mesozoic EraTriassic Period(225-180 MYA) Pangaea (supercontinent) existed

  5. PANGAEA

  6. LAND (GEOLOGICAL) FEATURES THAT FIRST APPEARE:

  7. Mesozoic EraCretaceous Period(135-65 MYA) Flower plants CALLED (angiosperms) 1ST APPEARED

  8. ANIMALS/ORGANISMS (BIOLOGICAL) FEATURES THAT FIRST APPEARED:

  9. Mesozoic EraTriassic Period(225-180 MYA) First Dinosaurs (small in size) Pisanosaurus Length:3 feet Height:1 foot Weight:15 pounds Eoraptor: Length:3 feetHeight: 1 footWeight:20 pounds

  10. Mesozoic EraJurassic Period(180-135 MYA) Pangaea starts to separate

  11. Mesozoic EraJurassic Period(180-135 MYA) 1st mammals (small rodents).

  12. Mesozoic EraJurassic Period(180-135 MYA) 1st birds (Archaeopteryx). • Jaws and bone structure like dinosaurs • Bones are hollow, like birds • Had feathers

  13. Mesozoic EraJurassic Period(180-135 MYA) Reptiles in the sea - Icthyosaurs – 8 m; Plesiosaurs – 15 m.

  14. ANIMALS/ORGANISMS (BIOLOGICAL) & GEOLOGICAL FEATURES THAT BECAME DOMINANT

  15. Mesozoic EraJurassic Period(180-135 MYA) Dinosaurs BECAME DOMINANT

  16. Mesozoic EraCretaceous Period(135-65 MYA)

  17. Mesozoic EraCretaceous Period(135-65 MYA) Continents in modern positions

  18. Mesozoic EraTriassic Period(225-180 MYA) GYMNOSPERMS BECAME DOMINANT

  19. WHAT CATASTROPHIC EVENT CAUSED THE MASS EXTINCTION?

  20. MASS EXTINCTION • Asteroids, METEORITE, or Comets collided into the Earth AND CAUSED Mass Extinction

  21. How could a meteorite impact cause a mass extinction? • The impact caused shock waves, tidal waves, and sent a tremendous amount of dust into the atmosphere • As the dust re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, it would have instantly heated the atmosphere causing tremendous forest fires • Dust from impact blocked out the sun and caused major climate change and plants to die • Plants, animals, etc. went extinct due to the climate changes and competition between organisms

  22. Mesozoic EraCretaceous Period(135-65 MYA) Mass Extinction: 50% of all plant and animal groups die out Alvarez’s Meteor Impact Theory- 10 km wide meteorite hits Earth

  23. Scientists now have fresh evidence that such a cosmic impact ended the age of dinosaurs near what is now the town of Chixculub in Mexico.

  24. Mesozoic EraCretaceous Period(135-65 MYA) • Evidence of Impact: Iridium • An element that is very rare in Earth rocks and very common in meteorites • The layer of rocks above the last dinosaur bones contain ~ 160x normal levels of iridium • Called the K/T Boundary

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