“Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom” is the fifth film in a series that has spanned 25 years. We thought wed take a look at things over a much larger time period, so lets dig into geologic time.
A matter of time
The Jurassic Period came during the Mesozoic Era, from 250 million years ago to 66 million years ago. The Mesozoic also includes the Cretaceous and Triassic periods. The word “Jurassic” is of French origin and relates to the forming of the Jura Mountains between France and Switzerland. During the Jurassic age, reptiles continued to diversify, comprising animals such as dinosaurs, marine reptiles (mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs), flying reptiles (pterosaurs), lizards, crocodiles and turtles. Small mammals appeared during this time, as well as many of the insects that exist today.
The period is the basic unit of geological time in which a single type of rock system is formed. Two or more periods make a geological era. Two or more eras form an eon, the largest division of geologic time. Some periods are divided into epochs.
You can buy a poster of the USGS image above online.
Learn more here:
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd.San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El PradoChannel Islands Visitor Center, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, VenturaLa Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los AngelesAquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach (celebrating 20 years)San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands
Smithsonian National Museum of natural History, Washington, DC
Changing planet
Geologic time
Land and sea
Mesozoic animals and their estimated length.
Sources: “Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California” by Richard Hilton; “Dinosaurus,” compiled by Steve Parker; Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment; The Geological Society of America; USGS
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