Jurassic is the second geological period of the Mesozoic Era, comprised approximately between 200 to 155 million years ago, and was marked by the beginning of the expansion of dinosaurs across the planet.
It was also during the Jurassic that the separation of continents, which was once a huge block of land called Pangea, began to become more evident.
With the separation of the continents, the Earth's climate also begins to change. Temperatures begin to become milder and more balanced, favoring the appearance of gigantic temperate and humid forests.
Much of the Jurassic is of low tectonic activity. The new weather conditions made the reptiles become bigger and more powerful. Other new species such as birds and some mammals also emerged at this stage.
Etymologically, the term "Jurassic" was coined in reference to the Jura mountains, which are currently located in the French Alps and which have large amounts of rocks from of this period.
The Mesozoic Era consists of three periods: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.
Learn more about the meaning of Cretaceous.
The Jurassic was divided into three main periods: Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic and Upper Jurassic.
Lower Jurassic
The Lower Jurassic, also known as the Jurassic Liassic, is the first phase of the Jurassic period, which took place between approximately 200 and 175 million years ago.
The megacontinent of Pangea was splitting into two, thanks to rising sea levels at the time: Laurasia, in the Northern Hemisphere, and Gondwana, in the Southern Hemisphere.
The climate in this period is arid and hot, but even so, it was during this period that the process of domination of the reptiles by the land and the appearance of crocodiles began.
At this stage of the Jurassic, the region that is now the Amazon was taken over by a huge desert.
Middle Jurassic
In the Middle Jurassic or Dogger (175 to 161 million years ago) the continents are still in the process of separation, between Laurasia and Bondwana.
The main feature of this period is the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean.
During this period, the climate begins to become milder, allowing for the intensification of evolution and the emergence of new species, such as some mammals and plants.
Upper Jurassic
The Upper Jurassic or Malm (161 to 145 million years) is the last phase of the Jurassic period, starting the Cretaceous.
This stage is characterized by the completion of the separation of Laurasia and Bondwana, the latter starting to separate between Western and Eastern Bondwana.
The climate was predominantly hot and humid, which allowed for the emergence of more species of dinosaurs and the increase in abundant vegetation.
Jurassic Park
Dinosaurs have always fascinated human beings for their grandeur and power.
Currently, there are several art forms that explore this subject, mainly cinema.
the franchise Jurassic Park, for example, was a series of films directed by Steven Spielberg that were very successful in portraying what fauna and flora would be like in the Jurassic period.
