Around 247 million years ago, the Anisian Age began.
In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 247.2 million years ago until 242 million years ago. The Anisian age succeeds the Olenekian age (part of the Lower Triassic epoch) and precedes the Ladinian age.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
251 Million B.C.T. - The Olenekian Age Began
Around 251 million years ago, the Olenekian Age began.
In the geologic timescale, the Olenekian is an age in the Early Triassic epoch or a stage in the Lower Triassic series. It spans the time between 251.2 and 247.2 million years ago. The Olenekian follows the Induan and is followed by the Anisian.
Archosaurs - a group encompassing crocodiles, pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and ultimately birds - are diapsid reptiles that first evolved from Archosauriform ancestors during the Olenekian.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
252 Million B.C.T. - The Induan Age Began
Around 252 million years ago, the Induan Age began.
The Induan is, in the geologic timescale, the first age of the Early Triassic epoch or the lowest stage of the Lower Triassic series. It spans the time between 252.2 and 251.2 million years ago.
The Induan age followed the mass extinction event at the end of the Permian period. Both global biodiversity and community-level (alpha) diversity remained low through much of this stage of the Triassic. Much of the world remained almost lifeless, deserted, hot, and dry. The lystrosaurids and the proterosuchids were the only groups of land animals to dominate during the Induan stage. Other animals, such as the ammonites, fishes, insects, and the tetrapods (cynodonts, amphibians, reptiles, etc.) remained rare and terrestrial ecosystems did not recover for 30 million years. Both the seas and much of the freshwater during the Induan were anoxic.
The Induan is, in the geologic timescale, the first age of the Early Triassic epoch or the lowest stage of the Lower Triassic series. It spans the time between 252.2 and 251.2 million years ago.
The Induan age followed the mass extinction event at the end of the Permian period. Both global biodiversity and community-level (alpha) diversity remained low through much of this stage of the Triassic. Much of the world remained almost lifeless, deserted, hot, and dry. The lystrosaurids and the proterosuchids were the only groups of land animals to dominate during the Induan stage. Other animals, such as the ammonites, fishes, insects, and the tetrapods (cynodonts, amphibians, reptiles, etc.) remained rare and terrestrial ecosystems did not recover for 30 million years. Both the seas and much of the freshwater during the Induan were anoxic.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
252 Million B.C.T. - A Mysterious Coal Gap Appears
At the beginning of the Triassic period around 252 million years ago, a mysterious coal gap appeared.
At the start of the Triassic period coal is noticeable by geologists today as being absent throughout the world. This is known as the "coal gap" and can be seen as part of the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Sharp drops in sea level across the Permo Triassic boundary may be the proper explanation for the coal gap. However, theories are still speculative as to why it is missing. During the preceding Permian period the arid desert conditions contributed to the evaporation of many inland seas and the inundation of these seas, perhaps by a number of tsunami events that may have been responsible for the drop in sea level. This due to the finding of large salt basins in the southwest United States and a very large basin in central Canada.
Immediately above the boundary the glossopteris flora was suddenly largely displaced by an Australia wide coniferous flora containing few species and containing a lycopod herbaceous under story. Conifers also became common in Eurasia. These groups of conifers arose from endemic species because of the ocean barriers that prevented seed crossing for over one hundred million years. For instance, Podocarpis was located south and Pines, Junipers, and Sequoias were located north. The dividing line ran through the Amazon Valley, across the Sahara, and north of Arabia, India, Thailand, and Australia. It has been suggested that there was a climate barrier for the conifers. Although water barriers are more plausible. If so, something that can cross at least short water barriers must have been involved in producing the coal hiatus. Hot climate could have been an important auxiliary factor across Antarctica or the Bering Strait, however. There was a spike of fern and lycopod spores immediately after the close of the Permian. In addition there was also a spike of fungal spores immediately after the Permian-Triassic boundary. This spike may have lasted 50,000 years in Italy and 200,000 years in China and must have contributed to the climate warmth.
An event excluding a catastrophe must have been involved to cause the coal hiatus due to the fact that fungi would have removed all dead vegetation and coal forming detritus in a few decades in most tropical places. In addition, fungal spores rose gradually and declined similarly along with a prevalence of woody debris. Each phenomenon would hint at widespread vegetative death. Whatever the cause of the coal hiatus must have started in North America approximately 25 million years sooner.
At the start of the Triassic period coal is noticeable by geologists today as being absent throughout the world. This is known as the "coal gap" and can be seen as part of the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Sharp drops in sea level across the Permo Triassic boundary may be the proper explanation for the coal gap. However, theories are still speculative as to why it is missing. During the preceding Permian period the arid desert conditions contributed to the evaporation of many inland seas and the inundation of these seas, perhaps by a number of tsunami events that may have been responsible for the drop in sea level. This due to the finding of large salt basins in the southwest United States and a very large basin in central Canada.
Immediately above the boundary the glossopteris flora was suddenly largely displaced by an Australia wide coniferous flora containing few species and containing a lycopod herbaceous under story. Conifers also became common in Eurasia. These groups of conifers arose from endemic species because of the ocean barriers that prevented seed crossing for over one hundred million years. For instance, Podocarpis was located south and Pines, Junipers, and Sequoias were located north. The dividing line ran through the Amazon Valley, across the Sahara, and north of Arabia, India, Thailand, and Australia. It has been suggested that there was a climate barrier for the conifers. Although water barriers are more plausible. If so, something that can cross at least short water barriers must have been involved in producing the coal hiatus. Hot climate could have been an important auxiliary factor across Antarctica or the Bering Strait, however. There was a spike of fern and lycopod spores immediately after the close of the Permian. In addition there was also a spike of fungal spores immediately after the Permian-Triassic boundary. This spike may have lasted 50,000 years in Italy and 200,000 years in China and must have contributed to the climate warmth.
An event excluding a catastrophe must have been involved to cause the coal hiatus due to the fact that fungi would have removed all dead vegetation and coal forming detritus in a few decades in most tropical places. In addition, fungal spores rose gradually and declined similarly along with a prevalence of woody debris. Each phenomenon would hint at widespread vegetative death. Whatever the cause of the coal hiatus must have started in North America approximately 25 million years sooner.
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