Elizabeth L. A. DeschnerMonique P. V. Viens

The Triassic Period

Time Period The Triassic period is the first period in the

Mesozoic Era followed by the Permian and then the Jurassic period

It is a time that occurred from about 251 to 199 million years ago

Both the start and the end of the Triassic period are marked by major extinction events

The first flying vertebrates made their appearance in this period along with corals from the hexacorallia

Landforms &Continental Position

•During Triassic period, Earth’s landmass was concentrated into a supercontinent called Pangea •Remaining shores were surrounded by a world-ocean known as Panthalassa•All the deep-ocean sediments laid down during the Triassic have disappeared through subduction of oceanic plates

Climate + AtmosphereGenerally hot, dry climateForms typical red bed sandstones and

evaporitesNo evidence of glaciations near north or

south polesHighly seasonal: very hot summers and

very cold winters

PlantsON LAND PLANTS (dominant)Lycophytes, cycads,ginkgophyta, and

glossopterids Spermatophytes (seed plants)In northern hemisphere, conifers flourishedIn southern hemisphere, Glossopteris (seed

fern)MARINE PLANTS (dominant)CoralsReefs

AnimalsMARINE REPTILESSauropterygiaNauthosaursPlacodontsThalattosauriaCARNIVORESPrestosuchidaeOrnithosuchida

ePoposauridaeRaiusuchidae

HERBIVORES• Aardonyx•Dryosaurus•Gastonia•Jobaria•Minmi

Animal & Plant Extinctions The largest extinction occurred in this time

period -About 95% of all species and about

60% of the genera died out, including many marine animals (like the trilobite)

Possible causes of Permian extinction:-global cooling, volcanic eruptions, or

a decrease in the continental shelf area during the formation of Pangea

Major Distinctive EventsThere were 2 flood basalt volcanoes The flood basalt eruptions which produced

the Siberian Traps constituted one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth

The Emeishan and Siberian Traps eruptions may have caused dust clouds which would have blocked out sunlight and disrupted photosynthesis both on land and in the upper layers of the seas, causing food chains to collapse

Bibliographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triassichttp://www.nature.com/nature/journal/

v283/n5750/abs/283823a0.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian

%E2%80%93Triassic_extinction_event

BOOM!!!!