Cretaceous Period
by Thanh Phung
Name of the geologic time period.
Major geologic events of that time period.
Continents move toward their present day positions, as South America splits from Africa. Widespread volcanic activity occurs.
What was the climate like?
During the PreCambrian and Silurian Periods, it was very hot. It was so hot, that it can be compared to a huge greenhouse. The Silurian Period was a little less hot as the PreCambrian.
During the Jurassic Period, there was no polar ice, so the sea levels were higher than they are now. In the early Jurassic, the continents were jammed together into a supercontinent (Pangaea), making much of the inland area dry and desert-like. Towards the middle of the Jurassic, when Pangaea began to break up, there were vast flooded areas, temperate and subtropical forests, and coral reefs.
Dominant organisms living at that time - animals and plant.
During the PreCambrian Period, there was no clear dominant organism. There were just early forms of life in the ocean. There were bacteria, algae, a jellyfish-like animal, and early plants called sea pens.During the Silurian Period, the dominant organism was still unclear. There were now fishes, and arachnids. During this period, the first land organisms evolved.During the Jurassic Period, the dominant organism was much more clear. They were the dinosaurs such as the Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus long-necked herbivores. The first birds also appear in this period.
What was the environment like?
Tyrannosaurus rex have been found in stream beds, on sand bars, or within the floodplains of meandering streams that flowed eastward on a broad, flat, forest covered plain. This plain, of which T. rex populated at least 500,000 square miles, was bounded on the west by the ancestral Rocky Mountains and on the east by the remnants of an inland sea which once bisected the North American continent.
What are the main things travelers might like to see?
The main things travelers might want to see are how the organisms changed from the different periods. The PreCambrian Period is very different than the Jurassic period.
What should travelers pack for comfort and safety?
What dangers might travelers face?
Travelers should have no dangers whatsoever if you follow directions. If the group gets lost and separated, use the survival kit provided whenever we go outside of the Enterprise. We beg of all travelers to not leave anything outside of the Enterprise.