mesozoic era
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Mesozoic Era. Earth Science Chapter 23 Section 2. Mesozoic Paleogeography. Mass extinction of the Paleozoic Era provided opportunities for drastically different life forms The life forms filled empty niches Three Periods Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous. Breakup of Pangaea. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Earth ScienceEarth ScienceChapter 23Chapter 23Section 2Section 2
Mass extinction of the Paleozoic Era provided
opportunities for drastically different life forms The life forms filled empty niches Three Periods
Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous
Mesozoic Paleogeography
Breakup of Pangaea
Beginning of Era Single global ocean Single continent
Triassic Period Pangaea begins to
break apart Heat beneath the
continent caused it to expand
Brittle lithosphere began to crack
Cracks widened and continent began to split
Sea Ways
Mid ocean rift systems developed Seaways widened
Atlantic Ocean began forming Triassic Period
Mid-Ocean Rift systems partly responsible for rise
in sea level Hot magma displaced seawater as new rock was
formed Dropped, however, at the end of the Triassic
Period Desert like conditions formed in Western North
America Sea level rose again in Jurassic Period Continued to rise in Cretaceous Period
Changing Sea Level
Collision of continents forced mountains
upward
Mountain Building
Occurred in Western Laurentia
Subduction of oceanic Farallon Plate beneath Laurentia’s western margin Rocky Mountains Sierra Nevada Mountains
CordilleraAn extensive chain of mountains
Phase One
Occurred during late Jurassic and early Cretaceous Periods
Cordilleran Orogeny
Cordilleran Orogeny
Phase One: Steep Slow Subduction
Phase Two: Shallow faster
subduction Massive thrust faults
Phase Three Very fast, very shallow
subduction Tectonic activity inland Large vertical lifts
Mesozoic Life
Phytoplankton Microscopic
organism at the base of the marine food chain
Abundant during Cretaceous
Mesozoic Life
Plants As temperatures
warmed, plant life changes.
Tall cycad trees Seed plants with
true flowers Ginkgoes Pine trees conifers
Mesozoic Life
Terrestrial Animals Mammals
Late Triassic Same time as
dinosaurs Amniotic Eggs
Contain food and water required by developing embryo
Mesozoic Life
Dinosaurs Archosaurs
Unique skeletal structure
Speed and flexibility Hip structure allows
legs to be held underneath the body
(reptiles’ movement is more sprawling)
Devastated terrestrial dinosaurs
Most marine reptiles Plants
Today’s theory Massive and volcanism and large meteorite (10 km
diameter) impact caused climate problems Occurred at end of Cretaceous Caused long lasting greenhouse warming Layer of clay from that time contains high amounts
of iridium Rare on Earth but common in asteroids
Mass Extinction