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Mr. Altorfer The Mesozoic Era Pages 378 to 384
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Geology of the Mesozoic Era The Mesozoic era is divided into the Triassic Period, the Jurassic period, and the Cretaceous period.
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The Mesozoic Landscape
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The dominant geological event of the Mesozoic era was the breakup of Pangaea. Pangaea broke into two continents during the late Triassic period. One of the continents was Gondwanaland, which included the future continents of South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. The Other continent was Laurasia, which included the future continents of North America, Europe, and Asia.
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The Breakup of Pangaea
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The Climate during the Mesozoic era was warmer than the climate of the Paleozoic era. There were no ice caps, sea level increased, and narrow channels formed. Throughout the Mesozoic era, North America drifted steadily westward. As North America hit a plate to the west, the Rocky Mountains formed.
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Rocky Mountain Formation
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Mesozoic Life Dinosaurs share a common ancestor with present-day reptiles such as the crocodile. Dinosaurs and crocodiles differ in their hip structure. Dinosaurs were dominant Mesozoic land vertebrates that walked with their legs positioned directly below their hips.
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Dinosaur Hips
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Scientists hypothesize that some dinosaurs were more closely related to present-day birds than present-day reptiles. Some had wings, feathers, claws, and teeth.
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Dinosaurs were the dominant reptiles on land. Other types of reptiles lived in the sea and flew in the air. Plesiosaurs were Mesozoic marine reptiles that had small heads, long necks, and flippers. Pterosaurs were Mesozoic flying reptiles that had large bat-like wings.
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Plesiosaurs
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Pterosaurs
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Mammals evolved during the Mesozoic era, but remained very small.
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The mass extinction of that ended the Mesozoic era was called the Cretaceous extinction event. Scientists hypothesize that a large meteorite hit Earth, creating large amounts of dust that blocked the sunlight. Large volcanic eruptions could have added to the sunlight-blocking dust. Without sunlight, plants died. Without plants, animals died.
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Meteorite and Extinction
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