Geology:

The continents at the beginning of the Triassic were lumped together in the big continent known as Pangaea, which was built up at the end of the Paleozoic Era. Towards the end, this continent began to fracture. Sea levels also began to rise, as the climate was becoming warmer and drier.

Animal Life:

The earliest dinosaurs, most no more than six inches long, started to appear and became the dominant land species. Mammals, evolving from the synapsid reptiles, also evolved as early as the end of the Triassic. Their ancestors declined in this period. As the synapsids died out, rhynchosaurs flourished. These reptiles (explained in this Creature Feature) are distantly related to the modern Tuatara, the only rhynchosaur still alive.

As dominating as the dinosaurs were, the Squamata group (snakes and lizards) were the most successful. Lizards evolved around the start of the Triassic (snakes don't come in until later). Members of this group still survive today. Chameleons, geckoes, and iguanas are only a few of those.

Plant Life:

Dry, arid conditions in the north did not support very much plant life, but the south sustained numerous plants. Conifers were the most abundant, but cycads started to evolve, too. Ferns began to flourish, also.