Late Jurassic Map The Jurassic period named from rocks formed at this time in the Jura Mountains of France and Switzerland marked the middle of the Mesozoic era. The earth's climate was generally warm and moist in the Jurassic and rains watered what has been Triassic deserts. Brachiosaurus, Barosaurus, Diplodocus, Cetiosaurus and Camarasaurus roamed North America, Europe and Africa.  North America has large areas of exposed late Jurassic rock. The enormous four legged plant eaters called sauropods were the dominate animals of the period. At least six kinds of sauropods are known to have lived in North America in the Late Jurassic period. These are Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus), Camarasaurus, Haplocanthosaurus, Diplodocus, Barosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Walking with Dinosaurs (WWD) by BBC was the best dinosaur production to date. The Jurassic segment set in North America featured Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Dryosaurus, Ornitholestes, Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus. Diplodocus had the staring role. There was more diversity among the sauropods of North America than is usually appreciated. While Diplodocus and Apatosaurus are the best known diplodocids there were also a number of less common relatives some of them becoming very large like Barosaurus, Seismosaurus and Supersaurus. The Morrison is a widespread deposit in the western United States. A Jurassic flood plain characterized by meandering rivers, small ponds and lakes. It includes arid sandy desert in the south west and a wetter swampy environments in the north. Dominated by large plant eating dinosaurs. The Mighty Morrison, which gives the best picture of a Late Jurassic environment. We get a more detailed picture of life in Jurassic than anywhere in the world. For Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs the Jurassic was a golden age. Plesiosaurs are the really big reptiles of the Mesozoic Sea. Late Jurassic Tendaguru is a warm coastal plain subject to periodic possibly season droughts. The fauna is dominated by the sauropods Dicraeosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Barosaurus, Tornieria and Janenschia. The Middle and Late Jurassic China seems to have been isolated from the faunas of Africa and North American. The best information about the Triassic Dinosaurs comes from South America Triassic Europe Prosauropods are the most common dinosaurs from latest Triassic to the end of the Early Jurassic. The Early Triassic is dominated by the plants and animals that had survived the Late Permian extinction. Tendaguru East Africa mirrors the Morrison Fauna of North America. Late Jurassic Tendaguru is a warm coastal plain subject to periodic possibly season droughts. The fauna is dominated by the sauropods Dicraeosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Barosaurus, Tornieria and Janenschia. Asian Jurassic dinosaurs are mostly known from China. China has produced two of the most diverse Middle Jurassic faunas in the world. The Middle and Late Jurassic China seems to have been isolated from the faunas of Africa and North American.

The Late Jurassic 159 - 144 million years ago is the Golden age of the Giant Sauropods.  Brachiosaurus, Barosaurus, Diplodocus, Cetiosaurus and Camarasaurus roamed North America, Europe and Africa.  There is still a fashion for portrayals of Brontosaurus and other Marx style classic figures even new figures are created in the Retro Classic Style. The time of the giant redwoods and sequoias.  Ferns and cycads populate the under story.   The Giant Sauropods Seismosaurus, Ultrasaros and Supersaurus have been found in Western North America.   The large theropods Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus and Torvosaurus are the top predators.  Stegosaurs reach their greatest diversity living in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.  The Walking with Dinosaurs documentary has a a segment featuring the life of a young sauropod in North America.   The Morrison  formation in North America and the Tendaguru dig in East Africa have produced extensive fossil finds showing that a cosmopolitan character of the dinosaur fauna.  In China different families develop suggesting a degree of isolation.  Giants continue to develop in the Seas of the Jurassic.  Liopleurodon was a giant of the Jurassic sea.  Fish, sharks and ammonites continue to evolve.   The first documented birds are found in Europe at Solenhofen along with other small dinosaur fauna.  Pterodactyls start to replace the rhamphorrynids.  At the the end of the Jurassic the continents have separated and new plants begin to join the conifers, ferns,  and cycads.

  updated 042406

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