What is the meaning of Cretaceous rock?

/ (krɪˈteɪʃəs) / adjective. of, denoting, or formed in the last period of the Mesozoic era, between the Jurassic and Tertiary periods, lasting 80 million years during which chalk deposits were formed and flowering plants first appeared.

What is the meaning of Cretaceous in biology?

The Cretaceous is defined as the period between 145.5 and 65.5 million years ago,* the last period of the Mesozoic Era, following the Jurassic and ending with the extinction of the dinosaurs (except birds).

What is the Cretaceous period known for?

The Cretaceous was a period with a relatively warm climate, resulting in high eustatic sea levels that created numerous shallow inland seas. These oceans and seas were populated with now-extinct marine reptiles, ammonites, and rudists, while dinosaurs continued to dominate on land.

What is the meaning of the term Mesozoic?

Mesozoic (252-66 million years ago) means ‘middle life’ and this is the time of the dinosaurs. This era includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, names that may be familiar to you.

What is an example of Mesozoic?

The Mesozoic Era includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods and is characterized by the development of flying reptiles, birds, and flowering plants and by the appearance and extinction of dinosaurs.

What does Mesozoic mean for kids?

The Mesozoic Era is the geological time period when dinosaurs dominated the planet. The Mesozoic Era starts with the evolution of dinosaurs and ultimately ends with their extinction. There are three geological periods that make up the Mesozoic Era, and they are the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

What are the key 2 facts of the Cretaceous period?

The Cretaceous Period But did you know when the very first flowers appeared on earth? That was in the Cretaceous Period. The Cretaceous Period started around 145.5 million years ago and ended around 65.5 million years ago. The very first flowers lived during the Cretaceous, and so did the very last dinosaurs.

What major events happened during the Cretaceous period?

Significant Cretaceous events

• First Flowering Plants. Angiosperms (flowering plants) appeared in the fossil record more than 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.
• Rise of the Rocky Mountains.
• Cretaceous Interior Seaway.
• Mass Extinction.