Mesozoic Era - the Geologic Time Scale

Mesozoic Era - the Geologic Time Scale Following both the Precambrian Time and the Paleozoic Era on the Geologic Time Scale came the Mesozoic Era. The Mesozoic Era is sometimes called the age of the dinosaurs because dinosaurs were the dominant animals for much of the era. The Permian Extinction After the Permian Extinction wiped out over 95% of ocean-dwelling species and 70% of land species, the new Mesozoic Era began about 250 million years ago. The first period of the era was called the Triassic Period. The first big change was seen in the types of plants that dominated the land. Most of the species of plants that survived the Permian Extinction were plants that had enclosed seeds, like gymnosperms. The Paleozoic Era Since most of the life in the oceans became extinct at the end of the Paleozoic Era, many new species emerged as dominant. New types of corals appeared, along with water-dwelling reptiles. Very few types of fish remained after the mass extinction, but those that did survive flourished. On land, the amphibians and small reptiles like turtles were dominant during the early Triassic Period. By the end of the period, small dinosaurs began to emerge. The Jurassic Period After the end of the Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period began. Most of the marine life in the Jurassic Period stayed the same as it was in the Triassic Period. There were a few more species of fish that appeared, and toward the end of the period, crocodiles came into being. The most diversity occurred in plankton species. Land Animals Land animals during the Jurassic Period had more diversity. Dinosaurs got much bigger and the herbivorous dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the end of the Jurassic Period, birds evolved from dinosaurs. The climate changed to more tropical weather with a lot of rain and humidity during the Jurassic Period. This allowed land plants to undergo a large evolution. In fact, jungles covered much of the land with many conifers in higher elevations. The Mesozoic Era The last of the periods within the Mesozoic Era was called the Cretaceous Period. The Cretaceous Period saw the rise of flowering plants on land. They were helped along by the newly formed bee species and the warm and tropical climate. Conifers were still really abundant throughout the Cretaceous Period as well. The Cretaceous Period   As for marine animals during the Cretaceous Period, sharks and rays became commonplace. The echinoderms that survived the Permian Extinction, like starfish, also became abundant during the Cretaceous Period. On land, the first small mammals started to appear during the Cretaceous Period. Marsupials evolved first, and then other mammals. More birds evolved, and reptiles got bigger. Dinosaurs were still dominant, and carnivorous dinosaurs were more prevalent. Another Mass Extinction At the end of the Cretaceous Period, and the end of the Mesozoic Era came another mass extinction. This extinction is generally called the K-T Extinction. The K comes from the German abbreviation for Cretaceous, and the T is from the next period on the Geologic Time Scale - the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era. This extinction took out all dinosaurs, except birds, and many other forms of life on Earth. There are different ideas as to why this mass extinction occurred. Most scientists agree it was some sort of catastrophic event that caused this extinction. Various hypotheses include massive volcanic eruptions that shot dust into the air and caused less sunlight to reach the surface of the Earth causing photosynthetic organisms like plants and those who depended on them, to die off slowly. Some others believe a meteor hit causing the dust to block the sunlight. Since plants and animals that ate plants died off, this caused top predators like carnivorous dinosaurs to also perish.

William Wordsworths Daffodils Poem

William Wordsworths Daffodils Poem William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a British poet who is known, along with friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge, for writing the collection Lyrical Ballads and a Few Other Poems. This set of poems embodied a style that was a break from the traditional epic poetry of the time and helped to launch what became known as the Romantic era. Wordsworths preface to the 1798 publication includes his famous argument in favor of common speech within poetry so that they would be accessible to more people. Poems from Lyrical Ballads include Coleridges best-known work, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and one of Wordsworths more controversial pieces, Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. Wordsworths most critically-acclaimed work is the massive poem The Prelude, which he worked on throughout his life and which was published posthumously. But its perhaps his simple musing on a field of yellow flowers that became Wordsworths best-known and most-recited poem. I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud was written in 1802 after the poet and his sister happened upon a field of daffodils during a walk.   Life of William Wordsworth Born in 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumbria, Wordsworth was the second of five children. Both his parents died when he was young, and he was separated from his siblings, but later reunited with his sister Dorothy, with whom he remained close for the rest of his life.   In 1795 he met fellow poet Coleridge, beginning a  friendship and collaboration that would not only inform his work but his philosophical outlook as well. Both Wordsworths wife Mary and his sister Dorothy also influenced his work and his outlook.   Wordsworth was named Englands Poet Laureate in 1843, but in a strange twist of fate, ended up not writing anything while he held the honorary title.   Analysis of I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud This poems simple and straightforward language doesnt have much in the way of hidden meaning or symbolism  but reflects Wordsworths deep appreciation for nature. Before graduating from college, Wordsworth went on a walking tour of Europe, which inspired his interest in natural beauty as well as the common man.   Complete Text Here is the complete text of William Wordsworths I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud aka Daffodils   I wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high oer vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.Continuous as the stars that shineAnd twinkle on the milky way,They stretched in never-ending lineAlong the margin of a bay:Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.The waves beside them danced; but theyOut-did the sparkling waves in glee:A poet could not but be gay,In such a jocund company:I gazed - and gazed - but little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought:For oft, when on my couch I lieIn vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitude;And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the daffodils.