Cretaceous Period

Overview of the Cretaceous Period:

Basics: - Known as the end of "The Age of Dinosaurs".

             - Lasted from 144 to 65 million years ago.

       - It occurred during the Mesozoic Era, but the end of it marked the beginning of the Cenozoic Era.

     - Named from a rock found in Southeast England which was first sediment studied from this period.

Life:    - A large variety of species were able to thrive during this period.

    - Dinosaurs were the dominant life-form.

    - Many fossils are also found from this period, proof that they were present.

               They included:

 

             Small mammals

     Birds

     Flowering Plants

             Insects

Other:   -The super-continent Pangea continued to break apart.  It is the most recent super-continent in Earth's history.

      - A large mass extinction also occurred during this period, most likely caused by an asteroid collision.  The asteroid could have triggered a enormous tsunami, as well as creating a large crater.  For more information on this mass extinction, and others, see Andrew's Post.