Triassic Period

TRIASSIC PERIOD

250-201 Mya

Facts!

The World

• Scientists have found species of flies preserved in amber and matched them to the Triassic Period! Before this, this had only been seen in the Cretaceous Period and Cenozoic Era (Schmidt).

• The Triassic Period was named by Friedrich August Von Alberti, due to there being a three-part division of Triassic rocks in Germany
• The Triassic Cuddle: occurred when an injured amphibian crawled into the den of an early mammal, and they both perished in a flood.

Major Events

Photos

Triassic Dinosaurs and Animals!

Major Events

The End-Triassic Extinction

The end of the Triassic Period was brought by an extinction event, thought to have been caused by climate change and the release of carbon dioxide from volcanoes. 76% of marine and terrestrial species would not survive this event.

• Some species of early oysters, or bivalves were able to survive this extinction (Damborenea).

Also during this time

• Pangea began to split up
• Early ancestors of reptiles, fish, and pterosaurs

Britannica article on the extinction

The World During this Time

The world during the Triassic Period shares some similarities with the modern world. The climate and biomes were varied and dense. Swampy and humid conditions were more common during this time.

A piece from the Natural History Museum

• Early reptiles walked the Earth
• The supercontinent Pangea was present but was beginning to break up
• The ichthyosaurus lived in the oceans
• The first dinosaurs walked the earth during this time