Crossword clues for mesozoic
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mesozoic \Mes`o*zo"ic\, a. [Meso- + Gr. ? life, fr. ? to live.] (Geol.) Belonging, or relating, to the secondary or reptilian age, or the era between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic. See Chart of Geology.
Mesozoic \Mes`o*zo"ic\, n. The Mesozoic age or formation.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Wikipedia
The Mesozoic Era ( or ) is an interval of geological time from about . It is also called the Age of Reptiles, a phrase introduced by the 19th century paleontologist Gideon Mantell who viewed it as dominated by Diapsids such as Iguanodon, Megalosaurus, Plesiosaurus and Quetzalcoatlus. This Era is also called from a paleobotanist view the Age of Conifers.
Mesozoic means "middle life", deriving from the Greek prefix meso-/μεσο- for "between" and zōon/ζῷον meaning " animal" or "living being". It is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon, preceded by the Paleozoic ("ancient life") and succeeded by the Cenozoic ("new life"). The era is subdivided into three major periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous, which are further subdivided into a number of epochs and stages.
The era began in the wake of the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest well-documented mass extinction in Earth's history, and ended with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, another mass extinction which is known for having killed off non-avian dinosaurs, as well as other plant and animal species. The Mesozoic was a time of significant tectonic, climate and evolutionary activity. The era witnessed the gradual rifting of the supercontinent Pangaea into separate landmasses that would eventually move into their current positions. The climate of the Mesozoic was varied, alternating between warming and cooling periods. Overall, however, the Earth was hotter than it is today. Non-avian dinosaurs appeared in the Late Triassic and became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates early in the Jurassic, occupying this position for about 135 million years until their demise at the end of the Cretaceous. Birds first appeared in the Jurassic, having evolved from a branch of theropod dinosaurs. The first mammals also appeared during the Mesozoic, but would remain small—less than 15 kg (33 lb)—until the Cenozoic.
Usage examples of "mesozoic".
I populated an entire planet of our closest stellar neighbor with a complete Mesozoic biota.
The Crystal Palace monsters were life-sized hypothetical reconstructions in plaster of Mesozoic reptiles.
She provides an overview of the kinds of dinosaurs throughout the entire Mesozoic, and what the principle characteristics are by which we may distinguish them.
He reminds us that not all great reptiles of the Mesozoic were dinosaurs.
In the third, Mesozoic country is often so overgrown and poorly drained that even the most versatile vehicle would have a hard time.
People who expect a Mesozoic landscape to be colorful are apt to be disappointed, since all the plant life is pretty much the same dark, somber green, without flowers.
To begin to understand how dinosaurs came to dominate the Mesozoic world, the animal groups with which the earliest dinosaurs lived are important to consider.
The Sauropoda, on the other hand, constitute a dinosaur group which proved to be a great success not only due to their differentiation, but also due to their long persistence during Mesozoic time.
Thus, during the whole time of the dinosaur reign in the Mesozoic Era, we see the appearance and radiation of one group and the extinction of another.
Although the remnants of this group survive today in specialized habitats, these Mesozoic flora are poorly known.
To emphasize this point, consider that the eggs of Mesozoic birds are even more rare than those of the dinosaurs.
If one were tempted to use the above negative reasoning for the issue of dinosaur births, one would also have to consider the unrealistic idea of live birth for Mesozoic birds.
Shortly before the close of the Mesozoic Era, predatory dinosaurs, especially the smaller ones, were a strongly diversified, flourishing group.
Back here in the Mesozoic, risk aplenty is available enough for those who can put up the price of admission.
This was near the middle of the Mesozoic Era, when dinosaurs still lived.