Placodus
- When: Middle Triassic
(247–235 mya) - Where: Europe
- What: Sauropterygian marine reptile
- Weight: 100–200 kg
- Length: 2 meters
- Diet: Durophagous
- Discovered: 1830
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era: The Age of Dinosaurs
The Mesozoic Era is a thrilling time in Earth’s history, known as the Age of Dinosaurs!
It began about 250 million years ago and lasted until 66 million years ago.
During this era, dinosaurs roamed the land, flying reptiles soared through the skies, and giant sea creatures swam in the oceans.
The Mesozoic is divided into three periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous.
Each period saw amazing changes in the types of plants and animals that lived on Earth. Imagine a world full of enormous, plant-eating dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus, fearsome predators like T. rex, and even the first birds beginning to take flight!
The Mesozoic was a time of incredible adventure and discovery, making it one of the most exciting chapters in our planet’s history.
Thecodontosaurus
- When: Late Triassic
(205–201 mya) - Where: Europe
- What: Sauropodomorph
- Weight: 10–20 kg
- Length: 2 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1836
Alamosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(70–66 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Sauropod
- Weight: 30–70 metric tons
- Length: 21–30 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1922
Albertosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(70–68 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Theropod
- Weight: 2 metric tons
- Length: 9 meters
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Discovered: 1905
Archelon
- When: Late Cretaceous
(80–66 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Turtle
- Weight: 2.2 metric tons
- Length: 4.5 meters
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Discovered: 1896
Bruhathkayosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(70–66 mya) - Where: Asia
- What: Sauropod
- Weight: Highly speculative, potentially around 80–100 metric tons
- Length: Highly speculative, potentially around 28–34 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1987
Deinosuchus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(82–73 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Crocodyliform
- Weight: 8–10 metric tons
- Length: 10–12 meters
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Discovered: 1954
Erythrosuchus
- When: Middle Triassic
(247–242 mya) - Where: Africa
- What: Archosaur
- Weight: 500 kg
- Length: 5 meters
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Discovered: 1905
Futalognkosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(87–80 mya) - Where: South America
- What: Sauropod
- Weight: 38–50 metric tons
- Length: 26 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 2007