Mesozoic

Triceratops are one of the most famous types of dinosaurs. They have been named the state fossil of South Dakota and named the state dinosaur of Wyoming. A person can watch Triceratops interact with other dinosaurs in the movie Jurassic Park and read about them in many children’s books (Triceratops Wikipedia). Triceratops are part of the Ornithischian family. Triceratops were named by Orthniel Marsh in 1889 after some brow horns were found near Denver, Colorado in 1887 (Fastovsky). This…

extinction in the history of life. According to the McGraw-Hill Dictionary (2003) it can be defined as a mass extinction event marking the division between the Permian Period and the Triassic Period as well as the border between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras. It is estimated to have triggered the extinction of 90% or more of all ocean species, approximately 70% of land vertebrates, and significant extinctions of plants and insects (Erwin, D. H., 1994). Most of what scientists or geologists…

The Formation of Australia Although Australia has the least surface area compared to other continents, it does have a long geological history. Australia is formed by many geological elements resulting in the present-day Australia. Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents shifting (Appearing to be 'drifting') on Earth's surface. There have been many supercontinents, throughout history, which had existed on Earth's surface for millions of years. Supercontinents are a cluster…

The Bone Wars, also referred to the ‘the Great Dinosaur Rush’ is a geologic time period in history which there was an intense period of paleontology discovery, over a hundred new species were found during this time. This was mainly due in part to a rivalry between two men, Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope whom were known to go to extreme lengths to undermine each other. While, many fossils were found between the two men they were not above lying, cheating and even stealing from each other to win…

Almost 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth, newly formed, had possibly the hottest climate in the planet’s extensive past. Temperatures were scorching, enough to liquefy rocks. As radioactive elements located in Earth’s core decay, they generate heat and pressure shoving molten rock toward Earth’s surface. Along with bringing molten rock to the surface, volcanoes also released heat and emitted carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, initiating the greenhouse effect which leads on to global warming.…

periods of cool and dry conditions, may have played a role in mass extinctions and long-term evolutionary trends (Retallack 2013). Although the Permo-Triassic mass extinction wiped out nearly 85% of species, the crises marked the beginning of the Mesozoic Era, a time period often associated with the Age of Reptiles (Benton et al. 2014). The Permo-Triassic extinction was likely a consequence of massive volcanic activity and consequent severe global warming, acid rain and ocean anoxia…

The Great Lakes are a series of interconnected freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada–United States border, which connect to the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume. The total surface is, and the total volume is . Due to their sea-like characteristics the five Great…

Gymnosperms are the naked bearing seeds (e.g conifers, cyadas etc.) that thrived as the climate dried, differentiating them from bryophytes and non-vascular seedless plants. In the late Mesozoic era, around 140 million years ago, angiosperms began to replace gymnosperms in certain ecosystems. Angiosperms are seeds of flowering and fruit-bearing plants and have a intricate life cycle. Within the diploid megasporangium of each ovule the diploid…

Thomas Jefferson is widely recognized throughout the nation as a Founding Father, a Secretary of State and America's third president. Jefferson's actions shaped our country into what it is today. But what makes him such an important figure in U.S. history? Thomas Jefferson is one of the greatest, most influential and interesting leaders in American History as shown through his interest in science, strides toward freedom and controversial possession of slaves. Jefferson was obsessed with…

Pools and marshes to rapid moving rivers and never-ending lakes. The rocky mountains overwhelm the large Mountain West area and run from New Mexico to the North West part of Alaska. The Rocky Mountains were formed by the Early Cenozoic and Mesozoic eras during the “Cordilleran progeny” (Encyclopedia.com). The Rocky Mountains can be divided into multiple sections, the Brooks Range, Northern Rockies, Middle Rockies, Southern Rockies, and the Wyoming Basin area. Of these zones the farthest-eastern…