Cretaceous
E1446
The Cretaceous was the final period of the Mesozoic Era, marked by high sea levels, diverse dinosaurs, and ending with the mass extinction that wiped them out about 66 million years ago.
Aliases (7)
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
geological period
→
stratigraphic unit → |
| associatedWith |
Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary
→
surface form: "Chicxulub impact event"
Deccan Traps volcanism → |
| biota |
abundant ammonites in marine ecosystems
→
diverse theropod and sauropod dinosaurs → dominance of conifers in many forests → early evolution of marsupial mammals → early evolution of placental mammals → expansion of reef-building rudist bivalves → |
| characterizedBy |
active plate tectonics
→
breakup of supercontinent Pangaea → chalk deposition in many marine basins → diverse dinosaur faunas → extensive shallow epicontinental seas → flowering plant diversification → high global sea levels → warm greenhouse climate → |
| chronostratigraphicRank | system → |
| climate |
generally ice-free poles
→
high atmospheric CO2 levels → |
| duration | approximately 79 million years → |
| endedWith |
Cretaceous
→
surface form: "Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event"
mass extinction about 66 million years ago → |
| endTime | approximately 66 million years ago → |
| followedBy | Paleogene → |
| follows | Jurassic → |
| geochronologicalRank | period → |
| hasBoundaryEvent |
Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary
→
Jurassic →
surface form: "Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary"
|
| hasSubdivision |
Early Cretaceous
→
Late Cretaceous → |
| nameOrigin | Latin word "creta" meaning chalk → |
| notableFor |
diversification of birds
→
diversification of mammals → extinction of non-avian dinosaurs → large flying reptiles such as pterosaurs → large marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs → rise of angiosperms → |
| paleogeography |
continued separation of Gondwana
→
development of modern ocean basins → opening of the South Atlantic Ocean → |
| partOf |
Mesozoic Era
→
Mesozoic Era time scale → Phanerozoic Eon → |
| precededBy | Jurassic Period → |
| startTime | approximately 145 million years ago → |
| succeededBy |
Paleogene
→
surface form: "Paleogene Period"
|
Referenced by (21)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form: "Late Cretaceous"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous period"
this entity surface form: "Late Cretaceous"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous Period"
this entity surface form: "Early Cretaceous"
this entity surface form: "Upper Cretaceous Series"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous System"
this entity surface form: "Cretaceous period"
this entity surface form: "Late Cretaceous"