by Jasmine Embrick
The ground rumbled. Trees seemed to shiver in fright. The sky itself hid behind a thick mask of storm clouds. Plants shifted, and something rough and dull could be spotted hidden among the bright hues of green. Abruptly, a massive creature emerged from the shrubbery, and the earth shook with every step it took. One look at its spiny fins and long neck is all it takes to recognize this ancient monster for what it is- a spinosaurus.
Millions of years ago, back in the Mesozoic times, dinosaurs of all sizes roamed the Earth. Some could fly, some had feathers, and some lived under the sea. Fortunately for humans, the Age of Reptiles was well before any humanoid figures evolved. People started appearing during the Cenozoic Era, which came after the mysterious mass extinction of the dinosaurs.
The Mesozoic Era (252-66 million years ago) is typically divided into three sects: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods. During the Triassic Period (252-201mya), all seven continents were fused together in a single supercontinent, Pangaea. The continental drift began in the mid-Triassic, and the climate was rather arid and dry. One of the more common dinosaurs found during this time were the coelophysis, which were lean, carnivorous, bipedal predators with sharp teeth and curved claws. Others include the plateosaurus, cynodonts, placerias, and the dicynodonts.
The Jurassic Period (201-145 mya) included many well-known dinosaurs, such as sauropods, brachiosauruses, stegosauruses, and dilophosauruses. A ceratosaurus is a species that not many recognize by name, but they are quite distinguishable from others, as they look similar to a T-Rex, only with extra spines and spikes on its head, and they tend to be much smaller and lighter than a T-Rex. The climate became less dry and more humid and warm.
Contrary to some beliefs, the Tyrannosaurus Rex did not exist until the Cretaceous Period (145.5-66 mya). This period was the longest of the three, lasting 79 million years, and ended with a literal bang. Scientists believe the mass extinction event to have been because of an extreme impact to the Earth. The event used to be known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event, but it was changed to the Cretaceous-Palaeogene Extinction Event.
Dinosaurs are fun to learn about, but quite terrifying to see up close. Just imagine heading to work while reptiles that can reach the canopy wander around a grocery store parking lot!