1 / 23

The Mesozoic Era

Explore the Mesozoic Era, from Triassic to Cretaceous periods when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, their evolution, plant life, and the catastrophic mass extinctions. Learn about fascinating creatures like Pisanosaurus, Eoraptor, and iconic species like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

rashadp
Download Presentation

The Mesozoic Era

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Mesozoic Era When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

  2. The Mesozoic Era • Began approximately 245 million years ago after a major mass extinction. • Is subdivided into 3 periods: • Triassic • Jurassic • Cretaceous • Ends about 66 million years ago with a major mass extinction

  3. The Triassic Period245 - 206 million years ago • Immediately after the Permian Mass Extinction • Lots of new area is open for animals to live • Three general types of animals: • holdovers from before the extinction • new groups that lasted only a short time • new groups that lasted a long time

  4. The Triassic World

  5. Triassic Plant Life • Mosses • Scale Trees (like palm trees) • Ginkos

  6. Two Groups of Dinosaurs • Ornithischian • Hips were similar to modern bird hips • Carnivorous short-necked • Herbivorous, long-necked • Saurischian • Hips were similar to reptile hips • Herbivorous with grinding-teeth • Herbivorous without grinding-teeth

  7. Earliest Dinosaurs(Triassic) Pisanosaurus Length:3 feet Height:1 foot Weight:15 pounds Eoraptor: Length:3 feetHeight:1 feetWeight:20 pounds Lesothsaurus: Length:3 feet Height:1 foot Weight:15 pounds

  8. The Jurassic Period206 - 144 Million Years Ago • Giant plant-eating dinosaurs • Vicious carnivore dinosaurs • Oceans full of fish, squid, sharks, etc. • Ichthyosaurs and Plesiosaurs • Pterosaurs • Birds

  9. The Jurassic World

  10. Jurassic Plant Eating Dinosaurs • Many different forms • Many had ‘armor’ to protect themselves • Triceratops • Ankylosaurus • Many very large (larger than a Rhino/Hippo) • Some were extremely large (as long as a city block): Diplodocus Triceratops

  11. Ankyloasaurus Diplodocus

  12. Jurassic Carnivorous Dinosaurs • Many different forms • Some were very large: • Tyrannosaurus Rex • Allasaurus • Some were smaller: • Raptors, and many more • All had sharp teeth, claws, and speed

  13. Jurassic Marine Dinosaurs • Most with similar shapes as dolphins or sharks • Ate fish and other marine animals • Some were VERY large • All could swim VERY fast Ichthyosaurus

  14. Jurassic Pterosaurs • Pterodactyls and Pterosaurs • Most had trouble walking • Were very good flyers • Had hollow bones • Small (~ 1 foot) and very large (~ 16 feet)

  15. More Pterodactyls

  16. Jurassic Birds(?) - Archaeopteryx • Not a Pterosaur • Jaws and bone structure like dinosaurs • Bones are hollow, like birds • Feathers • Was this an evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds?

  17. The Cretaceous Period144 - 66 million years ago • The last period when Dinosaurs lived • Ends with a mass extinction around 66 million years ago • First flowering plants!

  18. The Cretaceous World

  19. Cretaceous Plants • First plants with flowers • Their appearance was very rapid • They appeared at the same time as the number of insects increased… • Could insects have helped the flowering plants evolve?

  20. The Cretaceous Mass Extinction • Approximately 60% of all species went extinct. • Affected many land animals/plants • Affected fewer marine animals

  21. What organisms went extinct? • All dinosaurs • All pterosaurs • All ichthyosaurs • Many terrestrial plants • Many marine animals

  22. What organisms survived? • MAMMALS (!) • Birds • Many plants (ferns were the most successful plant for a while) • Trees with flowers • Small lizards/crocodiles/alligators/turtles • Fish, squids, sharks, etc.

  23. What caused the extinction? • Meteorite impact theory • 66 million years ago, a ~10 km wide meteorite struck the Earth near what is now Mexico.

More Related