Mesozoic Time
About the Mesozoic Era
During the Mesozoic Era,dinosaurs and other monstrous beasts roamed the Earth. The period, which spans from about 252 million years ago to about 66 million years ago, was also known as the age of reptiles. The Climate and Changes to Shape and Location of the Continent Earth during the Mesozoic Era was much warmer than today. It was so warm, in fact, that none of the polar ice caps existed. During the Triassic Period, Pangaea still formed one massive supercontinent. Without much coastline to moderate the continent's interior temperature, Pangaea experienced through major temperature swings and was covered in large swaths of desert. The Jurassic Period saw a rise in sea levels, which flooded coastal regions and hastened the breakup of the supercontinent. With more coastline, many areas experienced warmer, more stable temperatures and a wetter climate. Major Changes in the Landforms As a result, flooding overtook many parts of the exposed land. This allowed the climate to change with increased humidity and it continued that way even into the Cretaceous period. However, the climate began to cool during the Cretaceous although temperatures may have risen again near the end of the Mesozoic. Major Changes in the development of living things The Mesozoic Era began soon after a massive extinction that wiped out 90 percent of the known species on the planet. Life slowly rebounded, eventually giving way to a flourishing diversity of animals. Massive lizards such as Iguanodon and iconic dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops dominated the landscape. Coniferous plants, or those that have cone-bearing seeds, already existed at the beginning of the Era, but they became much more abundant during the Mesozoic. Flowering plants would not emerge until the late Cretaceous Period. The lush plant life during the Mesozoic Era provided plenty of food, allowing the biggest of the dinosaurs to grow up to 100 tons Why the Mesozoic Era Ended Death. Destruction. Devastation. Dramatic extinction event. An estimated 70 per cent of plant and animal species perished.About the Mesozoic Era _ |