MAIN characteristics of the Jurassic period

Millions of years ago the Earth was very different from the one we know today, having a different geographical distribution and being inhabited by beings very different from those that today we populate the planet. These previous periods upon the arrival of man it can be divided into different stages, depending on the age of the rocks. To better understand one of the most famous stages of prehistory, today in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to talk about the characteristics of the Jurassic period.

The Jurassic is one of the geological divisions into which the Mesozoic era, being also known as Secondary Era or era of the dinosaurs. The Jurassic is located between the Cretaceous and the Triassic, these being the three divisions of the Mesozoic Era. The extent of the Jurassic is from about 199 million years ago to 145 million years ago.

Main characteristics of the Jurassic period

Like all periods of our history, the Jurassic has a series of unique characteristics, which allow us to differentiate it from other neighboring eras. Some of the main characteristics of the Jurassic are the following:

• The continents were united forming a supercontinent called Pangea, but in the Jurassic begins the separation that will lead to the formation of Laurasia Y Gondwana.
• The period is sometimes called "Age of the dinosaurs" because it was the stage of greatest splendor of these beings.
• Appearance of new oceans, which were located between the continents into which Pangea had been divided.
• The oceans had shallow, and they were full of living things of all kinds.
• The climate changed to a more humid and warmer one, with a greater number of precipitations.
• The weather caused a more vegetation, emerging all kinds of plants.

To know the characteristics of the Jurassic period it is important that we analyze the flora and fauna. And this is a period characterized by having a great vegetation, since the climate caused the plants to cover a large part of the earth's surface. On the other hand, it was also a very important stage for the animals, since it was the time of greatest splendor of the dinosaurs. It is for all this that we must talk about the fauna and vegetation of the Jurassic, to better understand their characteristics.

Vegetation

Much of the Jurassic landscapes were made up of forests and jungles, so there was a large number of plants, with a lot of variability. It should be taken into account that the vegetal landscapes of the time were very different from the current ones, since there were hardly any trees with flowers or grass. Some examples of very common plants in this period are the following:

• Conifers, with species similar to the pines that were part of the great Jurassic forests.
• Plants similar to the current ones palms.
• Small plants like ferns.
• Appearance of the bennettitales, some plants with seeds similar to angiosperms.

Fauna

The so-called age of dinosaurs was populated by some of the most incredible animals in all of history, and that is why it is important to talk about some of these species. Some examples of animals that inhabited the planet during the Jurassic are the following:

• The first frogs, since it must be remembered that amphibians are the oldest vertebrates.
• The crocodiles, of which the current ones descend.
• The great terrestrial dominators were the archosaurs, whose descendants are current birds.
• Some of the main terrestrial dinosaurs of the time were the sauropods, the Allosaurus or the stegosaurus.
• The first small birds appear.
• The skies were dominated by pterosaurs.
• The seas were inhabited by reptiles and fish, such as marine crocodiles or ichthyosaurus.

To conclude this lesson on the characteristic Jurassic Period, we must talk about the different subdivisions into which the Jurassic is divided. These three stages are as follows:

Lower Jurassic Period

It was the time when the continents began to separate, the climate became rainier, and vegetation expanded. It is also known as the time of greatest splendor of the dinosaurs.

Half

At this time some dinosaurs increased in size, the climate softened and the continents of the southern hemisphere began to divide.

Upper Jurassic Period

Shallow seas began to cover part of Europe and North America. The division of Pangea was completed, forming the Atlantic Ocean.