Age of Reptiles

The **Age of Reptiles** or **Age of Dinosaurs**, formally known as the **Mesozoic Era**, is a geologic time period on Earth. It began about 248 million years ago, following the Paleozoic Era, and lasted until 65 million years ago, when it was followed by the Age of Mammals.

## Fauna

### Triassic

Eoraptor

Coelophysis

Plateosaurus

Pterosaurs

Ichthyosaurs

Plesiosaurs

Crocodiles

Turtles

### Jurassic

Allosaurus

Brontosaurs

Stegosaurs

Archaeopteryx

### Cretaceous

Ankylosaurs

Deinonychus

Iguanodons

Triceratops

Tyrannosaurs

Velociraptors

Mosasaurs

Snakes

Platypus

## Timeline

### 248 MYA to 208 MYA

> The beginning of the **Age of Dinosaurs**--but without most of the famous ones. Fusion of all major tectonic plates into one megacontinent makes getting around relatively easy.
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**240 MYA** Icthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and other giant reptiles found in seas.

**230 MYA** Eoraptor, first dinosaur, evolves--Argentina.

**230 MYA** The star Sirius is formed.

**225 MYA** Fall of Serpent People of Valusia.

**225 MYA** Petrified Forest petrifies--Arizona.

**220 MYA** First turtles, conifers, pterosaurs.

**216 MYA** Plateosaurus, ancestor of the sauropods, flourishes until 199 MYA.

**216 MYA** First crocodiles--Southwest North America.

**210 MYA** First mammals appear. For the next 150 million years, they don't do much to write home about.

### 208 MYA to 146 MYA

> Unlike the Triassic, this period has plenty of "celebrity" dinosaurs--but still with something of an inferiority complex in regards to the Cretaceous.
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**200 MYA** Pangaea breaks up, separated by the Tethys Sea into Gondwanaland (southern continents) and Laurasia (northern continents). Andes Mountains begin to form.

**190 MYA** Brontosaurs flourish until 170 MYA--Western North America

> (Referring to Brontosaurs as "Apatosaurs" in the Jurassic is a common *faux pas*, as their name will not be changed until millions of years into the future.)
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**165 MYA** Stegosaurs flourish until 150 MYA--Western North America

**165 MYA** Madagascar separates from Gondwanaland.

**160 MYA** Fungi from Yuggoth come to Earth...from Yuggoth.

**160 MYA** Atlantic Ocean begins to form as Eurasia separates from North America.

**150 MYA** Lemuria rises in the Indian Ocean.

**150 MYA** Evolution of Allosaurus--Western North America

**150 MYA** Evolution of Archaeopteryx, the first bird--present-day Germany

### 146 MYA to 65 MYA

> The Club Med of the Mesozoic Era. Fun fact: The name means "chalky."
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**139 MYA** Gondwanaland begins to break up, creating the South Atlantic.

**135 MYA** Evolution of Iguanodons, who flourish until 110 MYA--Eurasia, North America

**125 MYA** Evolution of marsupials.

**123 MYA** Earliest platypus--Australia.

**115 MYA** Evolution of Deinonychus--”terrible claw”--Western North America.

**112 MYA** First snakes.

**100 MYA** Creation of the Pleiades.

**100 MYA** Formation of Uluru, later known as Ayers Rock--Australia.

**98 MYA** First Mosasaurs evolve, thrive until the end of the Cretaceous.

**96 MYA** Australia breaks off.

**95 MYA** Evolution of magnolias.

**90 MYA** Ichthyosaurs extinct.

**80 MYA** Oldest amber forms--meaning that all the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are actually from the Cretaceous.

**75 MYA** Xemu, dictator of the Galactic Confederacy, uses Earth as the site of a mass extermination.

**75 MYA** Evolution of Velociraptor--Mongolia

**70 MYA** The star Polaris is formed.

**70 MYA** Earliest Hawaiian Islands formed.

**70 MYA** First butterflies emerge--try not to step on them.

**68 MYA** Evolution of Triceratops--North America

**67 MYA** Evolution of Tyrannosaurus rex--western North America

**66 MYA** Evolution of Ankylosaurus--western North America

> With all the most charismatic Cretaceous dinosaurs evolved, this is one of the most popular periods for time travelers to visit. It's actually a bit touristy.
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**65 MYA** Africa collides with Europe, forming Atlas Mountains. Greenland separates from Europe.

**64.98 MYA** Meteor kills dinosaurs--Chicxulub, Yucatan.

Some dinosaurs and other charismatic megafauna survive the cataclysm in The Land That Time Forgot, The Lost World, Skull Island, Loch Ness, Pellucidar etc.

Godzilla, Cthulhu, Rodan et al. also manage to survive somehow.

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*Here Be Dragons is a synthesis of fiction and fact. Do not rely on it as a reference!*