Dinosaurs Infographic

The jurassic Periodin the mesozoic era & the Phanerozoic eon

Lasted 56 million years

What was the world like

Climate: Warm and humid, with no polar ice caps. Tropical and subtropical regions extended much farther than today. Warm climate created vast lush landscapes of ferns, cycads, and conifer forests. Atmosphere: Oxygen levels were relatively high, allowing for the existence of large land and marine organisms. CO₂ levels were elevated compared to today, contributing to the warmth of the period. Continental Configuration: Pangaea began to break apart, forming the Atlantic Ocean and separating into two major landmasses: Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south. This tectonic activity also led to increased volcanic activity.

three facts

Organisms

The Jurassic Period was named after the Jura Mountains in Switzerland, where limestone strata from this period were first studied. The first true mammals evolved during the Jurassic, though they were small and rodent-like, living in the shadows of dinosaurs. Pterosaurs, though not dinosaurs, were the first vertebrates capable of powered flight and could grow to wingspans exceeding 10 meters. The first birds, such as Archaeopteryx, evolved from small theropod dinosaurs. This evolutionary link suggests that modern birds are the living descendants of certain groups of dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs: Such as Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and sauropods like Brachiosaurus roamed the land. Sauropods were especially dominant, becoming the largest land animals in Earth’s history. Early Birds: One of the most important organisms to evolve during this time was Archaeopteryx, considered one of the first birds, showing a transitional form between dinosaurs and modern birds. Marine Life: Oceans were teeming with life, including Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs, and Ammonites. The seas were diverse ecosystems with large predators like Liopleurodon.

references

1. https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Oceanography/Oceanography_101_(Miracosta)/02%3A_Evolution_of_Life_Through_Time/2.20%3A_Jurassic_Period_(201_to_145_million_years) 2. https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Historical_Geology_(Bentley_et_al.)/22%3A_(Case_Study)_Discovering_plate_tectonics/22.02%3A_Continental_drift

Major event: Breakup of pangaea

The major event that defines the end of the Jurassic is the gradual breakup of Pangaea, which accelerated continental drift. This tectonic activity caused: The formation of new oceans, including the early Atlantic. A shift in the Earth’s climate and oceanic circulation, contributing to biodiversity as isolated environments formed. Massive volcanic activity, which altered the atmosphere and caused a gradual transformation in ecosystems. Although there wasn’t a mass extinction at the end of the Jurassic like other periods, this geological event marked the transition toward new evolutionary paths in both land and marine life.