Mesozoic

[ mez-uh-zoh-ik, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to an era occurring between 230 and 65 million years ago, characterized by the appearance of flowering plants and by the appearance and extinction of dinosaurs.

noun

1. the Mesozoic Era or group of systems.

Mesozoic

/ ˌmɛsəʊˈzəʊɪk /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or relating to an era of geological time that began 250 000 000 years ago with the Triassic period and lasted about 185 000 000 years until the end of the Cretaceous period

noun

1. the Mesozoic
   the Mesozoic era

Mesozoic

/ mĕz′ə-zō′ĭk /

1. The era of geologic time from about 245 to 65 million years ago. The Mesozoic Era was characterized by a drastic change in plants and animals. In the early part of the Mesozoic, ferns, cycads, and ginkgos were dominant; later, gymnosperms and angiosperms developed. Dinosaurs also first appeared in the Mesozoic and, with the exception of birds, became extinct at the end of the era.
2. See Chart at geologic time

Other Words From

• post-Mes·o·zoic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mesozoic¹

First recorded in 1830–40; meso- + zo- + -ic

Example Sentences

"As the fieldwork continues in the Mesozoic of Australia, we continue to increase our understanding of how life changed over time. This, to me, is what makes science so exciting," Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich AO said.

From Science Daily

In this study, Rogers and colleagues performed histological analysis, examining patterns of bone tissue growth in the fossilized leg bones of an array of animals in one of the earliest known Mesozoic ecosystems.

From Science Daily

But in the Mesozoic Era, it was a tropical shoreline along the Tethys Ocean, inhabited by dinosaurs and marine creatures.

From New York Times

The changes provided a foundation for later adaptations to feed on plants and larger animals; over time these pioneers became the Mesozoic equivalents of otters, raccoons, flying squirrels and aardvarks.

From Scientific American

"I think what's key here is that Mesozoic food webs were more complex than we had imagined," Mallon said.

From Reuters