Era Mesozoic Era

Mesozoic Era 35

• 251.902 Ma End-Permian Extinction The Great Dying — 96% of marine species lost Largest mass extinction; caused by Siberian Traps volcanism, ocean acidification and anoxia.
• 231–228 Ma · Late Triassic Eoraptor One of the earliest dinosaurs A small omnivorous dinosaur from Argentina, Eoraptor is among the earliest known dinosaurs. About 1 metre long, it walked on two legs and represents the basal stock from which all dinosaurs evolved.
• 231 Ma First Dinosaurs Triassic origin of dinosaurs Earliest dinosaurs appear in South America after the P-T extinction recovery.
• 231–229 Ma · Late Triassic Herrerasaurus Early large predatory dinosaur One of the earliest and largest predatory dinosaurs, Herrerasaurus was a powerful bipedal carnivore up to 6 metres long from Argentina. It lived alongside Eoraptor in the Late Triassic.
• 228–201 Ma · Late Triassic Coelophysis Slender early theropod A lightly built carnivorous dinosaur from North America, Coelophysis was fast and agile. One of the best-known early dinosaurs, with hundreds of specimens found at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico.
• 225 Ma First Mammals Tiny Triassic ancestors Small insectivorous mammals appear alongside early dinosaurs.
• 214–204 Ma · Late Triassic Plateosaurus Early large herbivorous dinosaur One of the first large dinosaurs, Plateosaurus was a prosauropod up to 10 metres long from Europe. It could walk on all fours or rear up on its hind legs to browse high vegetation.
• 201.4 Ma End-Triassic Extinction CAMP volcanism Massive volcanism as Pangaea rifts apart; ~80% of species lost; clears way for dinosaur dominance.
• 201 Ma – 140 Ma Pangaea Breaks Apart Atlantic Ocean opens Pangaea rifts apart; Atlantic begins to open.
• 193–183 Ma · Early Jurassic Dilophosaurus Double-crested carnivore A large early theropod from North America with two distinctive bony crests on its skull. About 6 metres long, Dilophosaurus was one of the largest predators of the Early Jurassic.
• 166–164 Ma · Middle Jurassic Megalosaurus First dinosaur ever scientifically named Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be scientifically described and named (1824). A large bipedal carnivore from England, it gives its name to the Megalosauridae family.
• 155–145 Ma · Late Jurassic Allosaurus Apex predator of the Late Jurassic The dominant large predator of Jurassic North America, Allosaurus reached 12 metres in length. It likely hunted sauropods and stegosaurs, and is one of the best-studied of all theropod dinosaurs.
• 155–150 Ma · Late Jurassic Stegosaurus Plated dinosaur with spiked tail One of the most recognisable dinosaurs, Stegosaurus had large bony plates along its back and four tail spikes for defence. Despite its large body it had a remarkably small brain.
• 154–150 Ma · Late Jurassic Brachiosaurus Giraffe-like giant sauropod One of the largest animals ever to walk the Earth, Brachiosaurus had front legs longer than its hind legs giving it a giraffe-like posture to browse treetops. It could reach 26 metres in length.
• 154–152 Ma · Late Jurassic Diplodocus Long-necked, whip-tailed sauropod One of the longest dinosaurs known, Diplodocus reached up to 27 metres. Its extremely long neck and whip-like tail were its defining features. A gentle giant that fed on low-growing vegetation.
• 152–151 Ma · Late Jurassic Apatosaurus Massive sauropod, formerly Brontosaurus Long confused with Brontosaurus, Apatosaurus was a massive sauropod reaching 22 metres. One of the heaviest dinosaurs, it had a long neck and an extraordinarily powerful tail.
• 150.8 Ma Archaeopteryx First known bird Transitional fossil combining dinosaur and bird features; Jurassic Solnhofen limestone, Germany.
• 150–148 Ma · Late Jurassic Archaeopteryx The first known bird The iconic transitional fossil between dinosaurs and birds. Archaeopteryx had feathers and wings like a bird but teeth, clawed wings and a bony tail like a dinosaur. Found in Solnhofen limestone, Germany.
• 130 Ma First Flowering Plants Angiosperms diversify Flowering plants appear and co-evolve with insects, eventually dominating terrestrial ecosystems.
• 126–122 Ma · Early Cretaceous Iguanodon First dinosaur discovered in Europe One of the first dinosaurs ever identified, Iguanodon was a large herbivore from Europe with distinctive thumb spikes. It could walk on two or four legs and lived in herds.
• 120 Ma – 90 Ma Ocean Anoxic Events Cretaceous dead zones Repeated episodes of ocean-wide anoxia during the Cretaceous.
• 115–108 Ma · Early Cretaceous Deinonychus Sickle-clawed pack hunter The discovery of Deinonychus in 1969 revolutionised our view of dinosaurs as active, intelligent animals. Its large sickle-shaped claw and likely pack-hunting behaviour inspired the Velociraptor of Jurassic Park.
• 112–93 Ma · Late Cretaceous Spinosaurus Largest carnivorous dinosaur ever Spinosaurus was probably the largest carnivorous dinosaur, reaching 14-18 metres. It had a distinctive sail on its back and was semi-aquatic, feeding largely on fish in the rivers of North Africa.
• 100–94 Ma · Late Cretaceous Carcharodontosaurus Shark-toothed giant of Africa Named for its shark-like teeth, Carcharodontosaurus rivalled Tyrannosaurus in size at 12-13 metres. One of the largest terrestrial predators ever, it hunted large sauropods in Cretaceous North Africa.
• 99–95 Ma · Late Cretaceous Giganotosaurus South America's giant predator One of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs, Giganotosaurus from Argentina may have slightly exceeded Tyrannosaurus in length at around 13 metres, though T. rex was more robustly built.
• 76–73 Ma · Late Cretaceous Parasaurolophus Crested hadrosaur with resonating crest A large herbivorous hadrosaur with a distinctive hollow bony crest on its head, used to produce low-frequency calls for communication within the herd. One of the most recognisable Cretaceous dinosaurs.
• 75–71 Ma · Late Cretaceous Velociraptor Feathered pack-hunting dromaeosaurid Far smaller than its Jurassic Park portrayal, Velociraptor was actually turkey-sized with feathers. What it lacked in size it made up for in intelligence and its deadly sickle-shaped claw. Found in Mongolia.
• 72–69 Ma · Late Cretaceous Carnotaurus Bull-horned predator of South America A distinctive theropod from Argentina with two prominent horns above its eyes like a bull. Carnotaurus had unusually small arms even for a theropod, and was likely a fast pursuit predator.
• 70–66 Ma · Late Cretaceous Pachycephalosaurus Dome-headed bone-head dinosaur Pachycephalosaurus had a skull dome up to 25cm thick, used in head-butting contests for dominance. One of the last non-avian dinosaurs, it lived right up to the K-Pg extinction.
• 70–68 Ma · Late Cretaceous Therizinosaurus Giant scythe-clawed herbivore Therizinosaurus had the longest claws of any known animal — up to 1 metre long. Despite its fearsome appearance it was a herbivore from Asia, using its enormous claws to pull down branches.
• 68–66 Ma · Late Cretaceous Ankylosaurus Living tank with bone club tail The ultimate armoured dinosaur — Ankylosaurus was covered in bony plates and had a massive tail club capable of shattering bone. One of the last and largest ankylosaurs, it lived until the K-Pg extinction.
• 68–66 Ma · Late Cretaceous Triceratops Three-horned giant of the Cretaceous One of the most iconic dinosaurs, Triceratops had three facial horns and a large bony frill. It was one of the last non-avian dinosaurs and likely clashed with Tyrannosaurus. Millions lived in western North America.
• 68–66 Ma · Late Cretaceous Tyrannosaurus rex King of the tyrant lizards The most famous dinosaur of all — Tyrannosaurus rex was 13 metres long, weighed up to 9 tonnes and had the most powerful bite of any land animal. It lived in the last 2 million years before the K-Pg extinction.
• 66 Ma Chicxulub Impact Asteroid ends the Mesozoic 10 km asteroid strikes Yucatan; triggers mass extinction.
• 66 Ma End-Cretaceous Extinction K-Pg event — dinosaurs go extinct Chicxulub asteroid impact ends the Mesozoic. Non-avian dinosaurs, mosasaurs and ammonites disappear.