Tag Archives: Jurassic

JURASSIC – Age of Cycads

Cycads were an abundant component of the flora in the Mesozoic. During the Triassic and Jurassic, the time of their greatest diversity, cycads made up 20% of the world flora. For this reason the Mesozoic, and especially the Jurassic, is often referred to as the “Age of Cycads”. During this time, they were an important component of the vegetation, not simply in numbers of species, but in size and number of individuals. Cycads were the trees and shrubs which, along with the conifers and Ginkgoales,…

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Tree Ferns

It is not certain the exact number of species of tree ferns there are, but it may be closer to 600-700 species. Many species have become extinct in the last century as forest habitats have come under pressure from human intervention. Location of species Lophosoria (tropical America, 1 species) Metaxya (tropical America, 1 species) Sphaeropteris (tropical America, India, southeastern Asia to New Zealand, the Marquesas, and Pitcairn Island, about 120 species) Alsophila (pantropic area, about 230 species) Nephelea (tropical America, about 30 species) Trichipteris (tropical…

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Plants of Jurassic Period

Jurassic Period, second of three periods of the Mesozoic Era. Extending from 201.3 million to 145 million years ago, it immediately followed the Triassic Period (251.9 million to 201.3 million years ago) and was succeeded by the Cretaceous Period (145 million to 66 million years ago). The Morrison Formation of the United States and the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany, both famous for their exceptionally well-preserved fossils, are geologic features that were formed during Jurassic times. The Jurassic Period was named early in the 19th century,…

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