Geology: The giant continent Pangaea broke up into two landmasses known as Laurasia (in the north) and Gondwanaland (in the south). The budding Atlantic Ocean started to separate Eurasia and North America. The northern part of each continent moved towards each other. A shallow sea, later to become the Mediterranean, flooded central Europe and separated it from Asia. Jurassic climate stayed warm and became more humid. The polar areas were ice-free during this Period.   Animal Life: Dinosaurs in the Jurassic became larger and more varied. One group of these dinosaurs to evolve was the Sauropods, which included Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus), Diplodocus, and Brachiosaurus. Brachiosaurus was among the largest land animals to ever live. It was 80 feet (24 meters) long and weighed up to 50 tons. It could eat the branches of trees up to 40 feet high. Diplodocus was 90 feet long. One of the only dinosaurs capable of attacking the Sauropods was the ferocious Allosaurus, which also appeared in the Jurassic. It was 30 feet long, and it would give rise to even larger carnivores, such as the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, in the Cretaceous. In the skies, the Pterosaurs, giant flying reptiles, reigned. These are explained in the Cretaceous Creature Feature. But another flier also sprouted wings. The first known bird, Archaeopteryx, was probably descended from the dinosaurs and ascended in the Jurassic.   Plant Life: As the deserts shrank and more humid climate progressed, cycads, ginkgoes, and ferns flourished. The early traces of flowering plants started. They were to become the commanding plants during the Cenozoic Era.

Archaeopteryx: A first famous bird.

Sauropods

Mesozoic Era: Jurassic Period