Mesozoic Era (U.S. National Park Service)

The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66.0 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, ... SkiptoglobalNPSnavigation Skiptomaincontent Skiptofooter NationalParkServiceLogo NationalParkService Search ThisSite AllNPS Search Open Menu ExploreThisPark × ContactUs OnThisPageNavigation MesozoicTimeSpan Daterange:251.9millionyearsago–66.0millionyearsago Length:185.9millionyears(4.1%ofgeologictime) Geologiccalendar:December12(1AM)–December26(6PM)(14days,17hours) Introduction TheMesozoicEra(251.9to66.0millionyearsago)wasthe"AgeofReptiles."DuringtheMesozoic,Pangaeabeganseparatingintothemoderncontinents,andthemodernRockyMountainsrose.Dinosaurs,crocodiles,andpterosaursruledthelandandair.Asclimatechangedandrapidplatetectonicsresultedinshallowoceanbasins,sealevelsroseworld-wideandseasexpandedacrossthecenterofNorthAmerica.Largemarinereptilessuchasplesiosaurs,alongwiththecoiled-shellammonites,flourishedintheseseas.CommonMesozoicfossilsincludedinosaurbonesandteeth,anddiverseplantfossils. MesozoicResources TheMesozoicEraisfurtherdividedintothreePeriods:theTriassic,theJurassic,andtheCretaceous.AfewexamplesofNPSresourcesineachtimePeriodarehighlightedbelow. Show 10 40 perpage Loadingresults... Mesozoic“AgeofReptiles”ColoringPages [SiteUnderDevelopment] PrehistoricLifeintheNationalParksColoringBook Visit—MesozoicParks Everyparkcontainssomesliceofgeologictime.HerewehighlightafewparksassociatedwithMesozoicEra.Thisisnottosaythataparticularparkhasonlyrocksfromthespecifiedperiod.Rather,rocksinselectedparksexemplifyacertaineventorpreservefossilsorrocksfromacertaingeologicage. ArchesNationalPark,Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] BadlandsNationalPark,SouthDakota—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] BigBendNationalPark,Texas—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] CanyondeChellyNationalMonument,Arizona—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] CanyonlandsNationalPark,Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] CapitolReefNationalPark,Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] ChacoCultureNationalHistoricalPark,NewMexico—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] DenaliNationalPark,Alaska—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] DinosaurNationalMonument,Colorado&Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] GlenCanyonNationalRecreationArea,Arizona&Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] KatmaiNationalPark,Alaska—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] LakeClarkNationalPark,Alaska—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] MesaVerdeNationalPark,Colorado—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] MissouriNationalRecreationalRiver,NebraskaandSouthDakota—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] PetrifiedForestNationalPark,Arizona—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] RainbowBridgeNationalMonument,Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] SequoiaandKingsCanyonNationalParks,California—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] Wrangell-St.EliasNationalParkandPreserve,Alaska—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] WupatkiNationalMonument,Arizona—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] YosemiteNationalPark,California—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] ZionNationalPark,Utah—[GeodiversityAtlas][ParkHome] FeaturedArticles Show 10 40 perpage Loadingresults... RelatedLinks FossilsandPaleontology NationalFossilDay GeologicTime ► FossilsThroughGeologicTime—SiteIndex FossilsThroughGeologicTime >Ceonzoic Quaternary:2.58to0MYA Neogene:23.0to2.58MYA Paleogene:66.0to23.0MYA >Mesozoic Cretaceous:145.0to66.0MYA Jurassic:201.3to145.0MYA Triassic:251.9to201.3MYA >Paleozoic Permian:298.9to251.9MYA Pennsylvanian:323.2to298.9MYA Mississippian:358.9to323.2MYA Devonian:419.2to358.9MYA Silurian:443.8to419.2MYA Ordovician:485.4to443.8MYA Cambrian:541to485.4MYA >Precambrian Proterozoic:2.5Billionto541MYA YouMightAlsoLike Loadingresults... Tags archesnationalpark badlandsnationalpark bigbendnationalpark canyondechellynationalmonument canyonlandsnationalpark capitolreefnationalpark chacoculturenationalhistoricalpark denalinationalpark&preserve dinosaurnationalmonument glencanyonnationalrecreationarea katmainationalpark&preserve lakeclarknationalpark&preserve mesaverdenationalpark missourinationalrecreationalriver petrifiedforestnationalpark rainbowbridgenationalmonument sequoia&kingscanyonnationalparks wrangell-steliasnationalpark&preserve wupatkinationalmonument yosemitenationalpark zionnationalpark fossils paleontology geology geologictime ArchesNationalPark,BadlandsNationalPark,BigBendNationalPark,CanyondeChellyNationalMonument,CanyonlandsNationalPark, CapitolReefNationalPark,ChacoCultureNationalHistoricalPark,DenaliNationalPark&Preserve,DinosaurNationalMonument,GlenCanyonNationalRecreationArea,KatmaiNationalPark&Preserve,LakeClarkNationalPark&Preserve,MesaVerdeNationalPark,MissouriNationalRecreationalRiver,PetrifiedForestNationalPark,RainbowBridgeNationalMonument,Sequoia&KingsCanyonNationalParks,Wrangell-StEliasNationalPark&Preserve,WupatkiNationalMonument,YosemiteNationalPark,ZionNationalPark more» Lastupdated:January4,2021