Mesozoikukauden

Mesozoikukauden, also known as the Mesozoic Era, is a geologic era that spanned from approximately 252 to 66 million years ago. It is often referred to as the "Age of Reptiles" due to the dominance of dinosaurs during this period. The Mesozoic Era follows the Paleozoic Era and precedes the Cenozoic Era.

This era is divided into three geological periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous. The Triassic period, beginning around 252 million years ago, saw the recovery of life after the Permian-Triassic extinction event, the most severe extinction in Earth's history. Early dinosaurs and mammals began to appear. The Jurassic period, from 199 to 145 million years ago, is renowned for the diversification of dinosaurs, including giants like Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus, and the emergence of birds. The Cretaceous period, the longest of the three, lasted from 145 to 66 million years ago. This period witnessed the evolution of flowering plants, the peak of dinosaur diversity with creatures like Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops, and the eventual extinction event that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs.

The Mesozoic Era was characterized by a warm climate and relatively high sea levels. The supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart during this time, leading to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean and the separation of continents into their present-day configurations. The end of the Mesozoic Era is marked by the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, widely attributed to a massive asteroid impact. This event profoundly reshaped life on Earth, paving the way for the rise of mammals in the subsequent Cenozoic Era.