Mesozoic Era

Paleozoic Era - Mesozoic Era - Cenozoic Era

The Mesozoic Era is the second era of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Mesozoic began with the Permian-Triassic extinction event and ended with the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. During the Mesozoic, the climate was overall hotter than it is today, though the planet went through many heating and cooling cycles. The supercontinent of Pangaea would break up during the Mesozoic, becoming the separate continents of Gondwana and Laurasia. Gondwana would later become modern-day Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India, and South America, while Laurasia would become modern-day Eurasia and North America. The Innuitian Orogeny gave rise to many modern Arctic mountain ranges. The end of the era saw high amounts of volcanic activity and a large-scale meteorite impact that led to the extinction of many dominant reptile groups.

Gymnosperms were the dominant plant life for much of the Mesozoic, while both gingkos and sequoias would evolve before during the era. Reptiles were the dominant animal class of the era, controlling the Mesozoic land, seas, and skies. Pterosaurs flew in the skies, while dinosaurs dominated the terrestrial environment, with diverse groups like ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs were included in the era's aquatic fauna. Overshadowed by the great diversity of giant reptiles, the first birds and mammals would evolve during the Mesozoic and would become the dominant species of the era to follow after the mass extinction that particularly tolled the reptile population.

The Mesozoic is subdivided into three periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous.

Mesozoic Timescale:

Mesozoic Era - 251.902-66 MYA

-Triassic Period - 251.902-201.36 MYA

--Early Triassic Epoch - 251.902-246.8 MYA

--Middle Triassic Epoch - 246.8-235 MYA

--Late Triassic Epoch - 235-201.36 MYA

-Jurassic Period - 201.36-145 MYA

--Early Jurassic Epoch - 201.36-174.1 MYA

--Middle Jurassic Epoch - 174.1-163.1 MYA

--Late Jurassic Epoch - 163.1-145 MYA

-Cretaceous Period - 145-66 MYA

--Early Cretaceous Epoch - 145-100.5 MYA

--Late Cretaceous Epoch - 100.5-66 MYA