What changed between the Jurassic and Cretaceous?

Flowering plants spread, continents continued to separate, and new dinosaur groups like large ceratopsians and hadrosaurs began emerging while some Jurassic groups declined.

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Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

163-100 million years ago

The transition from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous was a pivotal time for dinosaur evolution. Many iconic Jurassic giants were giving way to new forms, flowering plants were beginning to spread, and the continents were drifting apart, isolating populations and driving new species to evolve.

Fun Facts

✓The Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary was a gradual ecological transition, not a sharp extinction event.
✓Flowering plants began spreading during this interval, changing the landscapes dinosaurs lived in.
✓Continental drift was separating landmasses, creating isolated populations that evolved into distinct species.

Questions About the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous

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