Middle to Recent Earth History

Sci 4.3

Mesozoic era 248-65 mya• Pangea breaks into Laurasia and Gondwanaland

Question 1

Drier climates• Favored reptiles

• Big dinosaurs by Jurassic

• Some may’ve been warm-blooded

Apatosaurus

Tyrannosaurus

Question 2

• Some good mothers, some quite fast (40mph)

GallimimusMaiasuara

Modern reptiles different from dinosaurs

Question 3

1st mammals in Triassic Period• Warm-blooded, hair, produce milk for young

Eomaia scansoria

Question 4

1st birds in Jurassic• Evolved from small dinos

Archaeopteryx fossil

Question 5

Gymnosperms• Dominated most of Mesozoic

yew

pines

palms

1st Angiosperms in Cretaceous• Flowering plants• Seeds with hard coverings• Dominant plants today

Southern magnolia

Question 6

End of Mesozoic• 65 mya mass extinctions

• Huge meteor and/or volcanoes

Gravity map

K-T boundary 65 mya• Between Meso. And Ceno. eras

• High levels of iridium

Alternate theory

Question 7

Cenozoic era• 65 mya to today

• Mountain ranges formed:

Alps, Andes, Himalayas

Himalayas

Alps in Europe• African plate smashing into Eurasian plate

Med. Sea

African plate

• Andes• Longest mountain range in the world

Nazca plate S.A. plate

• Himalayas are highest in the world

• Indian plate smashing into Eurasian

Question 8

Mountains may have caused global cooling

• Earth has cooled for last 60 mil.

Question 9

Cenozoic dominated by mammals

• Many evolved into larger animals

Question 10

• Some evolved to live in the sea

Question 11

Continents isolated species• Marsupials dominate Australia

Lemurs only found in Madagascar

Question 12

Organize in order of appearance on earth

• Invertebrates

• Vertebrates (fish)

• Amphibians

(and insects)

• Reptiles

• Mammals

• Amphibians

(and insects)

• Vertebrates (fish)

• Mammals

• Reptiles

• Invertebrates• Birds• Flowering plants

Rockies

Himalayas

Andes

Alps

Appalachians