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The Mesozoic Era [3] is the era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods.It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian reptiles such as the dinosaurs, and of gymnosperms such as cycads, ginkgoaceae and araucarian conifers; a hot greenhouse climate; and the tectonic break-up of Pangaea.
The mountains of northwest Ireland were formed during the collision, as was the granite that is found in locations in Donegal and Wicklow. The Irish landmass was now above sea level and lying near the equator, and fossil traces of land-based life forms survive from this period.
During the Lower Paleozoic Era, Proto-Europe acquired a large piece of crust, known as East Avalonia, that would eventually become northwestern Scotland. [1] Avalonia itself would eventually separate into the eastern coastal region of North America, divided by the Atlantic Ocean, from southern Ireland, England, Wales, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Gideon Mantell recognized dinosaurs as evidence for reptilian dominance over the land in addition to the dominion over the sea held by ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. He therefore declared the Mesozoic era to be the "Age of Reptiles". Distinguishing the Mesozoic "Age of Reptiles" from the Cenozoic "Age of Mammals" highlighted the differences ...
The Triassic is the first and shortest period of the Mesozoic Era and the seventh period of the Phanerozoic Eon. Both the start and end of the period are marked by major extinction events . [ 10 ] The Triassic Period is subdivided into three epochs: Early Triassic , Middle Triassic and Late Triassic .
This produced a Mesozoic CO 2 high that contributed to the very warm climate of the Early Cretaceous. [56] The opening of the Tethys Ocean also contributed to the warming of the climate. [ 57 ] The very active mid-ocean ridges associated with the breakup of Pangaea raised sea levels to the highest in the geological record, flooding much of the ...
The event marks the end of the Mesozoic Era and the beginning of the Cenozoic Era. [12] "Tertiary" being no longer recognized as a formal time or rock unit by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, the K-T event is now called the Cretaceous—Paleogene (or K-Pg) extinction event by many researchers.
In Europe, most of the Lower Triassic is composed of Buntsandstein, a lithostratigraphic unit of continental red beds. [ citation needed ] The Early Triassic and partly also the Middle Triassic span the interval of biotic recovery from the Permian-Triassic extinction event , the most severe mass extinction event in Earth's history.