second erathem and era of the Phanerozoic Eonothem and Eon

The Mesozoic Era is the era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about 252 to 66 million years ago, comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. It is characterized by the dominance … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Etymology
Name formality Formal
Nickname(s) Age of Reptiles, Age of Dinosaurs, Age of Conifers
Factsheet
Etymology
Name formality Formal
Nickname(s) Age of Reptiles, Age of Dinosaurs, Age of Conifers
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mesozoic
Mesozoic - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - The Mesozoic is commonly known as the Age of the Dinosaurs because the terrestrial animals that dominated both hemispheres for the majority of it were Dinosaurs. This era began in the wake of the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest mass extinction in Earth's history, and ended with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, another mass extinction whose victims included the non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, mosasaurs, and plesiosaurs.
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USGS
usgs.gov › youth-and-education-in-science › mesozoic
Mesozoic | U.S. Geological Survey
Mesozoic (252-66 million years ago) means 'middle life' and this is the time of the dinosaurs. This era includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, names that may be familiar to you.
Discussions

How would you summarize each period in the Mesozoic?
Triassic is good enough. "Our journey continues in the period denominated the Jurassic. The supercontinent of Pangaea has split into two landmasses - Laurasia and Gondwana. While not as arid as the Triassic, the climate is still hot and humid, with forests extending into the poles. Following a brief extinction event, out of literal ash, the dinosaurs rose like a phoenix, quickly dominating their environment in all shapes and sizes. Long-necked behemoths known as sauropods browsed above clashes between formidable carnivorous theropods and spiked stegosaurian prey. Flying reptiles known as pterosaurs patrolled the skies, and giant marine reptiles had their own dynasty. Their success will grant these species to rule some more million years, in which they will diversify even more." "Our journey ends in the Cretaceous period. Continental drift continues, as our world begins to take on a more familiar shape. The climate is still considerably warm. Dinosaurs remain in power, and have hit their evolutionary peak. Theropods continue their legacy with the largest carnivore to ever walk the Earth - Tyrannosaurus rex. Mighty herbivores known as ceratopsians fight for their survival with all numbers of horns. Some tiny dinosaurs have taken to the air, but live under the shadows of the biggest flying animals to yet exist. However, it was not to last forever. An asteroid the size of Mount Everest strikes near the Gulf of Mexico with the energy of 10 billion Hiroshima bombs. The impact unleashes global wildfires, in turn enveloping the planet in a firestorm. The ensuing 15-year period of freezing darkness would've finished off any survivors above 25 kilograms. Small, unassuming critters known as mammals, which previously lived in fear of the dinosaurs, were given the opportunity of taking their place. While this was the end of the dinosaurs' rule, it wasn't the end of their kind. One lineage of flying dinosaurs survived, rapidly diversifing in spite of the mammals' rise to power. They still exist with us today, where we now call them birds." More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Paleontology
13
6
December 15, 2023
How dangerous would the mesozoic be?
Anumals typically don't eat other animals they're unfamiliar with - that's an oddity unique to humans, and part of why introduced species are so destructive. Predatory dinosaurs most likely wouldn't be that dangerous to humans. In particular the larger predators almost certainly wouldn't be that dangerous. They're interested in hunting hadrosaurs or sauropods, not some weird little bit size fuzzy thing. Would you chase a chicken nugget for a quarter of a mile? Yeah, a tyrannosaur isn't going to waste its time on you either. Y'know what's super dangerous? Herbivores. Hippos kill more people every year than any other african animal, because they're stupid, mean, and won't suffer another animal to live in their line of sight. Elephants in mating season are terrifying. Eats plants=/=nice. They have to be mean: stuff is constantly trying to eat them! Y'know what's even more dangerous? Diseases 150 million years away from the nearest vaccine or antibiotic. All sorts of strange, deadly and totally unknown microorganisms, wothout any medical infrastructure to treat it. Everyone gets sick, terribly sad, bye bye! Let's see, anything else? Plant foods can't be trusted, as there's no way of knowning whats safe for human consumption and whats not. Air composition would also be different. The different gases would almost certainly cause problems of some kind. In short: large predatory dinosaurs are probably the last thing on the earth they need to worry about. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Paleontology
15
17
October 30, 2019
Any Mesozoic era geographical areas that we know nothing about fossil-wise?
If your question is answered in a satisfactory manner, please reply to this comment with the word "solved" so that the submission can be appropriately catalogued for future reference. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/SpeculativeEvolution
31
54
October 15, 2023
The height of the Mesozoic should have been a hellscape for true reptiles, small mammals and similar creatures
And yet, all those smaller animals were abundant across most Mesozoic ecosystems, so there must be flaws with your reasoning. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Paleontology
25
0
February 15, 2024
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University of California Museum of Paleontology
ucmp.berkeley.edu › mesozoic › mesozoic.php
The Mesozoic Era
The Mesozoic Era is divided into three time periods: the Triassic (251-199.6 million years ago), the Jurassic (199.6-145.5 million years ago), and the Cretaceous (145.5-65.5 million years ago).*
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Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › science › earth science, geologic time & fossils › fossils & geologic time
Mesozoic Era | Geology, Climate & Lifeforms | Britannica
October 29, 2025 - Its name is derived from the Greek term for “middle life.” The Mesozoic Era began 252.2 million years ago, following the conclusion of the Paleozoic Era, and ended 66 million years ago, at the dawn of the Cenozoic ...
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Live Science
livescience.com › planet earth › geology
Mesozoic era: Age of the dinosaurs | Live Science
July 28, 2022 - The Mesozoic era saw the rise of iconic dinosaurs and lizards and the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea.
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Natural History Museum
nhm.ac.uk › discover › when-did-dinosaurs-live.html
When did dinosaurs live? | Natural History Museum
Non-bird dinosaurs lived between about 245 and 66 million years ago, in a time known as the Mesozoic Era.
Find elsewhere
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Australian Museum
australian.museum › learn › dinosaurs › mesozoic-era
The Mesozoic era - The Australian Museum
The Mesozoic Era spanned 252 to 66 million years ago – a tiny part of the Earth’s long history.
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ScienceDirect
sciencedirect.com › topics › earth-and-planetary-sciences › mesozoic-era
Mesozoic Era - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
The Mesozoic era is defined as a geological period characterized by significant tectonic activity that led to the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea and the formation of modern continents and ocean basins, spanning from the early Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous period.
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Nokota Horse
ndstudies.gov › gr4 › geology-geography-and-climate › part-1-geology › section-5-mesozoic-era
Section 5: Mesozoic Era | 4th Grade North Dakota Studies
After the Paleozoic Era ended about 248 million years ago, the Mesozoic Era• Pronounced mez-a-zoe-ik • From about 248 million years ago to about 65 million years ago • Lasted about 183 million years • “Age of Reptiles” • Dinosaurs lived during this era began and lasted until about ...
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U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › articles › 000 › mesozoic-era.htm
Mesozoic Era (U.S. National Park Service)
The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66.0 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, and the modern Rocky Mountains rose.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/paleontology › how would you summarize each period in the mesozoic?
r/Paleontology on Reddit: How would you summarize each period in the Mesozoic?
December 15, 2023 -

So, I've been working on a series of short stories set throughout the Mesozioc Era: The Triassic, Jurassic and the Cretaceous. One gimmick I started to implement is to separate them by these different geologic periods and begin them with a quick summarization. So far, I've done that with the Triassic and goes like this:

" Our journey starts in a period known only as the Triassic. All the continents are merged into a single landmass known as Pangea, a name that means “all land.” The overall climate is also much warmer than it is today, resulting in some parts of the world being arid. It’s the aftermath of The Great Dying, the deadliest mass extinction event the world has ever seen. One that wiped out nearly 90% of all life across land and sea. Thanks to evolution, however, new life will spawn, and fill niches left behind. These will come in a variety of shapes and sizes that will die off or evolve over the course of 52 million years. Emerging from this bloom of fauna will be one of the most successful groups of animals to ever live… The dinosaurs. "

So far, I haven't done so with the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods. Mainly cause I've struggle to think of how I could summarize them. Anyone able to help me on this?

P.S. how will did I summarize the Triassic in my example? Is there anything important you feel should have been mentioned in it that I didn't?

Top answer
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Triassic is good enough. "Our journey continues in the period denominated the Jurassic. The supercontinent of Pangaea has split into two landmasses - Laurasia and Gondwana. While not as arid as the Triassic, the climate is still hot and humid, with forests extending into the poles. Following a brief extinction event, out of literal ash, the dinosaurs rose like a phoenix, quickly dominating their environment in all shapes and sizes. Long-necked behemoths known as sauropods browsed above clashes between formidable carnivorous theropods and spiked stegosaurian prey. Flying reptiles known as pterosaurs patrolled the skies, and giant marine reptiles had their own dynasty. Their success will grant these species to rule some more million years, in which they will diversify even more." "Our journey ends in the Cretaceous period. Continental drift continues, as our world begins to take on a more familiar shape. The climate is still considerably warm. Dinosaurs remain in power, and have hit their evolutionary peak. Theropods continue their legacy with the largest carnivore to ever walk the Earth - Tyrannosaurus rex. Mighty herbivores known as ceratopsians fight for their survival with all numbers of horns. Some tiny dinosaurs have taken to the air, but live under the shadows of the biggest flying animals to yet exist. However, it was not to last forever. An asteroid the size of Mount Everest strikes near the Gulf of Mexico with the energy of 10 billion Hiroshima bombs. The impact unleashes global wildfires, in turn enveloping the planet in a firestorm. The ensuing 15-year period of freezing darkness would've finished off any survivors above 25 kilograms. Small, unassuming critters known as mammals, which previously lived in fear of the dinosaurs, were given the opportunity of taking their place. While this was the end of the dinosaurs' rule, it wasn't the end of their kind. One lineage of flying dinosaurs survived, rapidly diversifing in spite of the mammals' rise to power. They still exist with us today, where we now call them birds."
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Triassic is the old and the jurassic the old and Cretaceous also old
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EBSCO
ebsco.com › research-starters › earth-and-atmospheric-sciences › mesozoic-era
Mesozoic Era | Research Starters | EBSCO Research
The Mesozoic Era, spanning from approximately 251 to 65 million years ago, is a significant period in Earth's geological history marked by the rise of dinosaurs and other large reptiles, as well as substantial changes in the planet's physical ...
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Geosciences LibreTexts
geo.libretexts.org › bookshelves › geology › an introduction to geology (johnson, affolter, inkenbrandt, and mosher) › 8: earth history
8.7: Mesozoic - Geosciences LibreTexts
August 25, 2025 - Following the Permian Mass Extinction, the Mesozoic (“middle life”) was from 252 million years ago to 66 million years ago. As Pangea started to break apart, mammals, birds, and flowering plants developed.
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GeoKansas
geokansas.ku.edu › mesozoic-era
Mesozoic Era | GeoKansas
Dinosaurs appeared and disappeared during the Mesozoic Era, which lasted 186 million years and encompasses three periods: the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic. During the first part of the era, much of the surface in Kansas was being eroded. If dinosaurs lived in Kansas then, they weren't ...
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West Virginia University
researchrepository.wvu.edu › earthscience_readings › 13
"The Triassic Period and the Beginning of the Mesozoic Era" by John J. Renton and Thomas Repine
The Triassic Period is the first period of the Mesozoic Era, a span of time from 245 million years ago to 66 million years ago. Although the Mesozoic era commonly known as the "Age of the Dinosaurs,', it should be pointed out that there were other important evolutionary developments taking place such as the appearance of the first mammal birds and flowering plans.
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Scottishgeologytrust
scottishgeologytrust.org › geology › scotlands-geology › geological-timescale › mesozoic-era
Mesozoic Era – Scottish Geology Trust
You are here: Home1 / Geology2 / Scotland’s Geology3 / Geological Timescale4 / Mesozoic Era · During the Mesozoic, Scotland’s ‘tectonic travels’ saw it continue its journey north of the equator. Although in a semi-arid climate during the Triassic, rising global sea levels meant that for much of the Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods, the area lay beneath shallow, warm seas.
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Geoparquepirineos
geoparquepirineos.com › contenidos.php
The Mesozoic Era
We find some remarkable events during the Mesozoic Era: the domination of the large dinosaurs and the appearance of mammals, plants with flowers and primates. The end of this period is marked by one of the greatest mass extinctions in Earth's History.
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Study.com
study.com › science › earth science › geology › geological history of earth
Mesozoic Era Overview, Timeline & Facts - Lesson | Study.com
October 8, 2015 - The Mesozoic era is an era of time between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic eras. The Cenozoic is the current era humans live in. The Mesozoic era is divided into three periods - the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
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Creative Beast Studio
creative-beast.com › home › news › the three periods of the mesozoic era and their differences
The Three Periods of the Mesozoic Era and Their Differences
August 14, 2023 - The Mesozoic Era marks the period of Earth’s history when prehistoric reptiles ruled. This era contains three periods—Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous—and Earth underwent massive changes. This era occurred after the Paleozoic Era and before the Cenozoic Era.
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Fossils-uk
fossils-uk.com › blog › prehistoric-periods-what-was-the-mesozoic-era
Prehistoric Periods: What Was The Mesozoic Era? | FossilsUK | Blog
June 18, 2025 - Labelling 186 million years as a single ‘era’ can seem reductive given the sheer amount of ecological and evolutionary advances in this significant age. Historians and palaeontologists also recognised this, so the Mesozoic Era is broken ...