Part of a series of articles titled Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils.
Previous: Cenozoic Era
Next: Paleozoic Era
Article
Mesozoic Era
Introduction
The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66.0 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, and the modern Rocky Mountains rose. Dinosaurs, crocodiles, and pterosaurs ruled the land and air. As climate changed and rapid plate tectonics resulted in shallow ocean basins, sea levels rose world-wide and seas expanded across the center of North America. Large marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs, along with the coiled-shell ammonites, flourished in these seas. Common Mesozoic fossils include dinosaur bones and teeth, and diverse plant fossils.
Mesozoic Resources
The Mesozoic Era is further divided into three Periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous. A few examples of NPS resources in each time Period are highlighted below.
Mesozoic “Age of Reptiles” Coloring Pages
[Site Under Development]
Visit—Mesozoic Parks
Every park contains some slice of geologic time. Here we highlight a few parks associated with Mesozoic Era. This is not to say that a particular park has only rocks from the specified period. Rather, rocks in selected parks exemplify a certain event or preserve fossils or rocks from a certain geologic age.
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Arches National Park (ARCH), Utah—[ARCH Geodiversity Atlas] [ARCH Park Home] [ARCH npshistory.com]
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Badlands National Park (BADL), South Dakota—[BADL Geodiversity Atlas] [BADL Park Home] [BADL npshistory.com]
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Big Bend National Park (BIBE), Texas—[BIBE Geodiversity Atlas] [BIBE Park Home] [BIBE npshistory.com]
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Canyon de Chelly National Monument (CACH), Arizona—[CACH Geodiversity Atlas] [CACH Park Home] [CACH npshistory.com]
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Canyonlands National Park (CANY), Utah—[CANY Geodiversity Atlas] [CANY Park Home] [CANY npshistory.com]
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Capitol Reef National Park (CARE), Utah—[CARE Geodiversity Atlas] [CARE Park Home] [CARE npshistory.com]
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Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CHCU), New Mexico—[CHCU Geodiversity Atlas] [CHCU Park Home] [CHCU npshistory.com]
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Denali National Park (DENA), Alaska—[DENA Geodiversity Atlas] [DENA Park Home] [DENA npshistory.com]
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Dinosaur National Monument (DINO), Colorado & Utah—[DINO Geodiversity Atlas] [DINO Park Home] [DINO npshistory.com]
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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLCA), Arizona & Utah—[GLCA Geodiversity Atlas] [GLCA Park Home] [GLCA npshistory.com]
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Katmai National Park (KATM), Alaska—[KATM Geodiversity Atlas] [KATM Park Home] [KATM npshistory.com]
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Lake Clark National Park (LACL), Alaska—[LACL Geodiversity Atlas] [LACL Park Home] [LACL npshistory.com]
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Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE), Colorado—[MEVE Geodiversity Atlas] [MEVE Park Home] [MEVE npshistory.com]
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Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR), Nebraska and South Dakota—[MNRR Geodiversity Atlas] [MNRR Park Home] [MNRR npshistory.com]
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Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO), Arizona—[PEFO Geodiversity Atlas] [PEFO Park Home] [PEFO npshistory.com]
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Rainbow Bridge National Monument (RABR), Utah—[RABR Geodiversity Atlas] [RABR Park Home] [RABR npshistory.com]
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Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), California—[SEKI Geodiversity Atlas] [SEKI Park Home] [SEKI npshistory.com]
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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST), Alaska—[WRST Geodiversity Atlas] [WRST Park Home] [WRST npshistory.com]
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Wupatki National Monument (WUPA), Arizona—[WUPA Geodiversity Atlas] [WUPA Park Home] [WUPA npshistory.com]
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Yosemite National Park (YOSE), California—[YELL Geodiversity Atlas] [YELL Park Home] [YELL npshistory.com]
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Zion National Park (ZION), Utah—[ZION Geodiversity Atlas] [ZION Park Home] [ZION npshistory.com]
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- arches national park
- badlands national park
- big bend national park
- canyon de chelly national monument
- canyonlands national park
- capitol reef national park
- chaco culture national historical park
- denali national park & preserve
- dinosaur national monument
- glen canyon national recreation area
- katmai national park & preserve
- lake clark national park & preserve
- mesa verde national park
- missouri national recreational river
- petrified forest national park
- rainbow bridge national monument
- sequoia & kings canyon national parks
- wrangell - st elias national park & preserve
- wupatki national monument
- yosemite national park
- zion national park
- fossils
- paleontology
- geology
- geologic time
Last updated: April 27, 2023