Jurassic

A dinosaur in the Jurassic period.

The Jurassic period is the middle section in the Mesozoic era and saw some incredible and amazing life forms ever to roam the Earth and swim the seas. The Jurassic period began after the mass extinction that ended the Triassic.

The Jurassic period was named after the Jura Mountains where rocks were first studied. In the Jurassic period, there was big landmass called the Pangea splitting up to North America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean was born.

Animals

The Jurassic period gave birth to new terrestrial animals such as the Apatosaurus, the Diplodocus, and the Stegosaurs. The Jurassic also gave birth to new marine life such as the Ichthyosaurs, Ammonites, Macroplata, and Plesiosaurs (even though they were found in the latest Triassic period, they were commonly known in the Jurassic). The Jurassic's most common flying vertebrates were the reptilian Pterosaurs.

In the Jurassic, the dinosaurs dominated the land fauna but they were not alone. Early mammals were mostly very small herbivores or insectivores and were not in competition with the larger reptiles.

Plants

The land of the Jurassic period was covered with trees, but flowering plants has not evolved yet. There were ferns, ginkgoes, Bennettitales or ‘cycadeoids’ and true cycads flourished in the Jurassic.

Climate

There was a massive climate change from the Triassic to the Jurassic. The Jurassic was a lush, warm tropical climate just like a forest which helped the reptiles to thrive in that time. It also has humid and drippy subtropical feel to it.

References

• “Jurassic Period” BBC Nature Prehistoric Life Retrieved 2015-5-20
• “The Jurassic” Jurassic - Overview Retrieved 2015-5-20
• Hamilton, Jason (2005-2010) “Jurassic Period” Science Views Retrieved 2015-5-20
• “Jurassic Period” National Geographic (1996-2015) Retrieved 2015-5-20
• “Jurassic Period Facts” Life Science (April 17, 2013) Retrieved 2015-5-20
• “Jurassic Period Facts” Exploring Life's Mysteries (2015) Retrieved 2015-5-20
• ”The Jurassic Period” University of California Museum of Palaeontology 9/10/1995 Retrieved 2015-5-20

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