What major event occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period and how did it affect the tertiary period?

The Tertiary Period began abruptly when a meteorite slammed into the earth, leading to a mass extinction that wiped out about 75 percent of all species on Earth, ending the reptile-dominant Cretaceous Period and Mesozoic Era. This event formed the Cretaceous-Tertiary, or K-T, boundary.

What are some fun facts about the Cretaceous period?

The Cretaceous Period was the last time dinosaurs were alive on earth. The first flowers, ants, and butterflies also appeared during this time. At the end of the Cretaceous Period, the dinosaurs died in the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.

What happened between the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods?

In the Jurassic, both plant-eating and meat-eating dinosaurs grew enormous. The world broke into two continents. In the Cretaceous, flowering plants and many insects evolved. Duck-billed dinosaurs and horned dinosaurs developed.

What happened at the Cretaceous Paleogene boundary or equivalently at the end of the Mesozoic?

The K–Pg boundary is associated with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, a mass extinction which destroyed a majority of the world’s Mesozoic species, including all dinosaurs except for birds.

What happened during the late Cretaceous period?

The Cretaceous ended with one of the greatest mass extinctions in the history of Earth, exterminating the dinosaurs, marine and flying reptiles, and many marine invertebrates.

How did the Cretaceous period End?

66 million years agoCretaceous / Ended

Why were sea levels high in the Cretaceous?

Thus, this volcanism can explain why sea level was significantly higher than the modern ocean, even with the complete melting of the ice sheets. The other potential reason is that the Cretaceous also saw higher rates of volcanism at mid-ocean ridges which would also have displaced seawater and elevated sea level.

What does Jurassic and Cretaceous mean?

The Jurassic period, from about 200 million to 145 million years ago, ushered in birds and mammals. And the Cretaceous period, from 145 million to 66 million years ago is known for its iconic dinosaurs, such as Triceratops, and pterosaurs such as Pteranodon. Flowering plants emerged during the late Cretaceous period.

What happened in the Cretaceous Paleogene extinction event?

In the oceans, the K–Pg extinction killed off plesiosaurs and mosasaurs and devastated teleost fish, sharks, mollusks (especially ammonites, which became extinct), and many species of plankton. It is estimated that 75\% or more of all species on Earth vanished. Teleost fish, and perhaps lizards also radiated.

What are the major events in the Cretaceous period?

Learn more about events in the Cretaceous Period 1 First Flowering Plants. 2 Rise of the Rocky Mountains. 3 Cretaceous Interior Seaway. 4 Mass Extinction. Though not up to date with current geologic-time nomenclature, the term “K – T boundary” will probably… More

What caused the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction?

The cause of the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction may at first seem a bit obscure, but as scientists have accumulated more and more evidence, opposition to the idea has dwindled. The main contender for the Cretaceous mass extinction event is a huge asteroid striking Earth about 66 million years ago.

What caused the end of the Mesozoic era?

Gases from undersea volcanoes and spreading mid-ocean ridges enhanced middle–late Cretaceous super-greenhouse conditions. The Cretaceous Period ends with one of the greatest known extinction events, so severe it also marks the end of the Mesozoic Era.

What predators lived in the Cretaceous period?

Large herds of herbivorous ornithischians also thrived during the Cretaceous, such as Iguanodon (a genus that includes duck-billed dinosaurs, also known as hadrosaurs), Ankylosaurus and the ceratopsians. Theropods, including Tyrannosaurus rex, continued as apex predators until the end of the Cretaceous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkiF4Oix6Vo