mesozoic

Everyday

1. The Mesozoic is a long stretch of Earth's history, from about 252 million to 66 million years ago, often called the Age of Dinosaurs. tree →
2. Belonging to that time: Mesozoic rocks, Mesozoic reptiles. tree →

In the lessons

Used in science lessons about fossils, dinosaurs and the timeline of life on Earth. It is split into three periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous. It ended when an asteroid hit Earth and most dinosaurs died out. Phrases: the Mesozoic era, Mesozoic fossils.

Examples

• Dinosaurs lived in the Mesozoic. tree →
• The Mesozoic era had three periods. tree →
• Our class made a timeline of the Mesozoic along the corridor wall. tree →
• The first birds appeared in the Mesozoic. tree →
• Mesozoic rocks on the Jurassic Coast are full of ammonites. tree →
• Flowering plants spread near the end of the Mesozoic. tree →
• Humans did not live in the Mesozoic at all. tree →

Note

Usually written with a capital M: the Mesozoic. Say «mez-oh-ZOH-ik». Myth trap: cartoons show cavemen with dinosaurs, but the Mesozoic ended about 66 million years before the first humans. In timeline sums: 252 − 66 = 186 million years long.