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CretaceousGeological periods

Cretaceous

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Artist's depiction of a Velociraptor, a fast-running dinosaur from the time of the dinosaurs.

The Cretaceous

The Cretaceous was a long time ago, from about 143 to 66 million years back. It was the last and longest part of a time called the Mesozoic Era. The name comes from a Latin word for chalk, a type of rock from that time.

The Earth had a warm climate then. Seas were high, and shallow waters covered many lands. These seas were full of life, like ammonites and other sea creatures. On land, big dinosaurs were the main animals. Forests grew even near the poles because it was so warm.

Many plants and animals that live today first appeared in the Cretaceous. New kinds of mammals and birds showed up. The first flowering plants grew and became very common. These plants changed the world forever.

The Cretaceous ended with a big change. Scientists think a huge space rock hit Earth. This caused many animals, like the big dinosaurs, to disappear. After this, a new time called the Cenozoic began.

People know about the Cretaceous because of the many fossils found. These fossils tell us about the amazing animals and plants that lived long ago. Places like Kansas and China have many fossils from this time.

Images

A map showing how Earth looked 105 million years ago during the Albian Age.
Illustration of a Mosasaurus hoffmannii skull from a historical scientific book.
A fossil of a young Scipionyx samniticus dinosaur displayed at the Natural History Museum in Milan, Italy.
A map showing how North America looked during the time of the dinosaurs, with a large sea stretching across the middle of the continent.
Fossil of Archaefructus liaoningensis, one of the earliest known flowers from the Early Cretaceous period, displayed at the Beijing Museum of Natural History.
A fossil plant exhibit from the Nymphaeales family, displayed at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin.
A scientific illustration of a Tyrannosaurus rex, showing what this famous dinosaur may have looked like.
An artist's illustration of a young Triceratops, a large armored dinosaur from the time of the dinosaurs.
An artist's impression of Quetzalcoatlus, a giant flying reptile from the time of the dinosaurs, soaring through the sky.
Artist's reconstruction of Ichthyornis, a primitive seabird from the Late Cretaceous period.
Skeleton of Priosphenodon, an ancient reptile from the time of the dinosaurs in Argentina.
Fossil of Philydrosaurus proseilus, an ancient reptile with preserved skin, displayed in a museum.
Illustration of Confuciusornis sanctus, an ancient bird from the Mesozoic era, gliding through the air.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Cretaceous, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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