When did dinosaurs first evolve?
Q: When did dinosaurs first evolve?
A: Dinosaurs evolved partway through the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, around 230 million years ago.
Q: What was the supercontinental landmass called during this time?
A: The supercontinental landmass during this time was called Pangaea.
Q: How long after the start of the Triassic period did Pangaea begin to split into Laurasia and Gondwana?
A: Pangaea began to split into Laurasia and Gondwana around 30 million years after the start of the Triassic period.
Q: What was the largest inlet from Panthalassa that surrounded Pangaea called?
A: The largest inlet from Panthalassa that surrounded Pangaea was called the Tethys Ocean.
Q: By what point were continents beginning to approach their present shapes but not their present positions?
A: By the Cretaceous period, which lasted from 145 to 65 million years ago, continents were beginning to approach their present shapes but not their present positions.
Q: Why is there a lack of dinosaur genera known from this time period?
A: There is a lack of dinosaur genera known from this time because few fossils have been discovered, and almost certainly not because Europe contained few types of dinosaur—except, perhaps, immediately after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event.
