Editing Mesozoic (section)

== Naming ==
The phrase "Age of Reptiles" was introduced by the 19th century [[Paleontology|paleontologist]] [[Gideon Mantell]] who viewed it as dominated by [[diapsid]]s such as ''[[Iguanodon]]'', ''[[Megalosaurus]]'', ''[[Plesiosaurus]]'', and ''[[Pterodactylus]]''.

The current name was proposed in 1840 by the British geologist [[John Phillips (geologist)|John Phillips]] (1800–1874). "Mesozoic" literally means 'middle life', deriving from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] prefix {{lang|grc-Latn|meso-}} ({{wikt-lang|grc|μεσο-}} 'between') and {{lang|grc-Latn|zōon}} ({{wikt-lang|grc|ζῷον}} 'animal, living being').<ref>See:

* {{cite book|title=Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge|last1=Phillips|first1=John|date=1840|publisher=Charles Knight and Co.|volume=17|location=London|pages=153–54|chapter=Palæozoic series|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn4zr7;view=1up;seq=163}} "As many systems or combinations of organic forms as are clearly traceable in the stratified crust of the globe, so many corresponding terms (as Palæozoic, Mesozoic, Kainozoic, &c.) may be made, … "
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=my7x_PBkpm4C&pg=PA9|title=Bulletin 769: The Geologic Time Classification of the United States Geological Survey Compared With Other Classifications, accompanied by the original definitions of era, period and epoch terms|last1=Wilmarth|first1=Mary Grace|date=1925|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|location=Washington, D.C.|page=9}}</ref><ref name="OnlineEtDict">{{cite OEtymD|Mesozoic}}</ref> In this way, the Mesozoic is comparable to the Cenozoic ({{lit|new life}}) and Paleozoic ('old life') eras as well as the [[Proterozoic]] ('earlier life') Eon.

The Mesozoic Era was originally described as the "secondary" era, following the "primary" ([[Paleozoic]]), and preceding the [[Tertiary]].<ref name="tang">{{cite web |last1=Tang |first1=Carol Marie |title=Mesozoic Era |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/Mesozoic-Era |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref>