Late Cretaceous
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Late Cretaceous (100mya - 65mya) refers to the second half of the Cretaceous Period, named after the famous white chalk cliffs of southern England, which date from this time. Rocks deposited during the Late Cretaceous Period are referred to as the Upper Cretaceous Series.
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[edit] Dinosaurs
This was a period of great success for dinosaurs, with many new types appearing and diversifying, such as the Tyrannosaurs, duck bills, Ankylosauridae, and horned dinosaurs in Asiamerica (Western North America and eastern Asia), and Titanosaurs and Abelisaurs in Gondwana.
[edit] Birds
Birds became increasingly common and diverse, replacing the pterosaurs which retreated to increasingly specialised ecological niches.
[edit] Marine Life
In the seas, mosasaurs suddenly appeared and underwent a spectacular evolutionary radiation. Modern sharks also appeared and giant-penguin-like polycotylid pliosaurs (3 meters long) and huge long-necked elasmosaurs (13 meters long) also diversified. These predators fed on the numerous teleost fishes, which in turn evolved into new advanced and modern forms (Neoteleostei).
[edit] Flowering Plants
Near the end of the Cretaceous Period, flowering plants diversified and didelphid marsupials and primitive placental mammals also became common.
[edit] KT Mass Extinction
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2008) |
The period was ended by the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event.
[edit] See also
| Cretaceous period | |
|---|---|
| Lower/Early Cretaceous | Upper/Late Cretaceous |
| Berriasian | Valanginian | Hauterivian Barremian | Aptian | Albian |
Cenomanian | Turonian | Coniacian Santonian | Campanian | Maastrichtian |
