What is the Mesozoic?
Q: What is the Mesozoic?
A: The Mesozoic is a geological era that lasted about 186 million years, starting 252.2 million years ago and ending 65 million years ago. It was during this time that dinosaurs lived, as well as the first mammals.
Q: When did dinosaurs appear?
A: Dinosaurs appeared around 231 million years ago, which was 21 million years after the beginning of the Mesozoic.
Q: What group did dinosaurs evolve from?
A: Dinosaurs evolved from reptiles called archosaurs, which are also related to modern birds and crocodiles.
Q: How did mammals differ from dinosaurs during the Mesozoic?
A: Mammals spent most of the long Jurassic and Cretaceous periods as small nocturnal animals living mainly in forests, while most lost their colour vision. In contrast, mammals today have some colour vision due to having three types of colour receptors (cone cells).
Q: What eon does the Mesozoic belong to?
A: The Mesozoic belongs to the Phanerozoic eon.
Q: What preceded and followed it?
A: Before the Mesozoic was the Palaeozoic era, while after it was the Cenozoic era - which we live in - marked by a mass extinction event known as K/T extinction in 65 mya.
Q: What are the three periods within the Mesozoic era?
A:The three periods within the Mesozoic era are Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.
