Editing Mesozoic (section)

===Jurassic===
[[File:Sericipterus NT.jpg|thumb|''[[Sericipterus]]'']]The Jurassic ranges from 200&nbsp;million years to 145&nbsp;million years ago and features three major epochs: The Early Jurassic, the Middle Jurassic, and the Late Jurassic.<ref name="Carol Marie Tang">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/308541/Jurassic-Period/257903/Major-subdivisions-of-the-Jurassic-System|title=Jurassic Era|author=Carol Marie Tang|encyclopedia=britannica.com|date = 7 February 2024}}</ref>

The Early Jurassic spans from 200 to 175&nbsp;million years ago.<ref name="Carol Marie Tang"/> The climate was tropical and much more humid than the Triassic, as a result of the large seas appearing between the land masses. In the oceans, [[plesiosaurs]], ichthyosaurs and [[ammonites]] were abundant. On land, dinosaurs and other archosaurs staked their claim as the dominant race, with [[theropods]] such as ''[[Dilophosaurus]]'' at the top of the food chain. The first true crocodiles evolved, pushing the large amphibians to near extinction. All-in-all, archosaurs rose to rule the world. Meanwhile, the first true mammals evolved, remaining relatively small, but spreading widely; the Jurassic ''[[Castorocauda]]'', for example, had adaptations for swimming, digging and catching fish. ''[[Fruitafossor]]'', from the late Jurassic Period about 150&nbsp;million years ago, was about the size of a chipmunk, and its teeth, forelimbs and back suggest that it dug open the nests of social insects (probably [[termite]]s, as ants had not yet appeared) ; ''[[Volaticotherium]]'' was able to glide for short distances, such as modern [[flying squirrel]]s. The first [[multituberculates]] such as ''[[Rugosodon]]'' evolved.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}



The Middle Jurassic spans from 175 to 163&nbsp;million years ago.<ref name="Carol Marie Tang"/> During this epoch, dinosaurs flourished as huge herds of sauropods, such as ''[[Brachiosaurus]]'' and ''[[Diplodocus]]'', filled the fern prairies, chased by many new predators such as ''[[Allosaurus]]''. [[Conifer]] forests made up a large portion of the forests. In the oceans, plesiosaurs were quite common, and ichthyosaurs flourished. This epoch was the peak of the reptiles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/mesozoic/jurassic/mj.shtml|title=Middle Jurassic|author=Enchanted Learning|work=Enchanted Learning}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=March 2022}}{{self-published source|date=March 2022}} [[File:Stegosaurus BW.jpg|thumb|''[[Stegosaurus]]'']]

The Late Jurassic spans from 163 to 145&nbsp;million years ago.<ref name="Carol Marie Tang"/> During this epoch, the first [[avialan]]s, such as ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'', evolved from small [[coelurosaurian]] dinosaurs. The increase in sea levels opened up the Atlantic seaway, which has grown continually larger until today. The further separation of the continents gave opportunity for the diversification of new dinosaurs.