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ZoomDinosaurs.com
The Mesozoic Era (248 - 65 million years ago) Ages of the Mesozoic Era
Triassic Period
248 - 206 mya
First dinosaurs and mammals
Jurassic Period
206-144 mya
Many dinosaurs and the first birds
Cretaceous Period
144-65 mya
First flowering plants, the height of the dinosaurs. Ends in huge extinction.
Early - Middle
248-227 mya
Late
227-206 mya
Early
(Lias)

206-180 mya
Middle
(Dogger)

180-154 mya
Late
(Malm)

154-144 mya
Early
(Neocomian)

144-127 mya
Middle
(Gallic)

127-89 mya
Late
(Senonian)

89-65 mya

THE AGES OF THE MESOZOIC ERA

The Mesozoic lasted 180 million years, and is divided into three periods, the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous. Mesozoic means "Middle Animal." The world's life forms were very different during the Mesozoic than either before or after. During the Mesozoic, dinosaurs evolved and dominated the Earth, and mammals and birds evolved. After the Mesozoic Era, the Cenozoic Era or the "Age of Mammals" began. 40 percent of the known dinosaurs date from the last 15 million years of the Cretaceous period.

Epochs and Ages of the Mesozoic Era
(Mya means millions of years ago.)
Era Period Epoch Age Time Span
(mya)
Cenozoic0-65
MesozoicCretaceousLateSenonian Maastrichtian65-71
Campanian71-83
Santonian83-86
Coniacian86-89
Gallic Turonian89-93
Cenomanian93-99
Early Albian99-112
Aptian112-121
Barremian121-127
Neocomian Hauterivian127-132
Valanginian132-137
Berriasian137-144
JurassicLate = Malm Tithonian = Portlandian144-151
Kimmeridgian151-154
Oxfordian154-159
Middle = Dogger Callovian159-164
Bathonian164-169
Bajocian169-177
Aalenian177-180
Early = Lias Toarcian180-190
Pliensbachian190-195
Sinemurian195-202
Hettangian202-206
Triassic Late = Tr3 Rhaetian206-210
Norian 210-221
Carnian221-227
Middle = Tr2 Ladinian227-234
Anisian234-242
Early = Scythian Olenekian = Spathian & Nammalian242-245
Induan = Griesbachian245-248
Paleozoic248 - 540

(ref. Gradstein, F. M., F. P. Agterberg, J. G. Ogg, J. Hardenbol, P. van Veen, J. Thierry and Z. Huang. 1995. A Mesozoic Time Scale. Journal of Geophysical Research 99 (B12): 24,051-24.074.)

For a more complete chart of geologic time, click here.


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