When we think of the age of the dinosaurs, the word ‘Jurassic’ often springs to mind - likely because of films such Jurassic Park. These movies popularised the idea of walking with dinosaurs live in a theme park which was dedicated to bringing them back from extinction and showing them off like exhibits. However, many of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park didn’t ever all live at the same time. The dinosaur age spanned 179 million years - and is divided into three specific eras.

The age of non-bird dinosaurs as a whole is referred to by scientists as the Mesozoic Era. This period of prehistory dates from 245 million to 66 million years ago, when the world looked very different. It is separated into three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. During this time, the land on earth gradually split from one huge supercontinent - called Pangaea - into smaller ones. The changes that are associated with this affected how dinosaurs evolved.

Triassic period (252-201 million years ago)

In the Triassic period, all the continents we see today were part of one huge supercontinent. Because of this, the differences found between animals in different areas were quite small. The climate was hot and dry, with lots of desert areas and dinosaurs evolved as reptiles in response to this. Reptiles have more porous skin than mammals, and lose less water in the heat, meaning they thrive in dry climates. The dinosaurs of the Triassic were relatively small, while in the seas the very first plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs flourished.  Dinosaurs from the late Triassic period include Eoraptor, Pro-compsognathus, Mussaurus and Plateosaurus.

Jurassic period (201-145 million years ago)

Towards the end of the Triassic period, a series of earthquakes and volcanoes began to break up Pangaea. The land divided into north and south continents, temperatures fell slightly, and rainfall increased. Plants and vegetation began to spread, and the gigantic sauropods began to evolve. By the end of the Jurassic period, their herds dominated the land. Alongside them came the rise of medium to large theropods - meat-eating dinosaurs.  Dinosaurs from the Jurassic period include Allosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Compsognathus, Diplodocus, Giraffatitan and Stegosaurus.

Cretaceous period (145-66 million years ago)

In the Cretaceous period, the land separated further, with some of the continents we know today beginning to form. Dinosaurs in different parts of the world were now evolving independently and becoming more diverse. In the early Cretaceous, sauropods reached their largest sizes. These began to die out later in the period, with theropods reigning supreme. Other dinosaurs evolving in this era included a range of bird-like and feathered dinosaurs, as well as hadrosaurs - duck-billed dinosaurs. Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period include Ankylosaurus, Oviraptor, Segnosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor.

If you’re looking for dinosaur attractions in the UK, don’t miss the chance to learn more about these fascinating creatures at Dinosaur World Live. A touring theatre show aimed at kids, this spectacular dinosaur experience uses puppetry to tell the stories of both dino favourites such as T-Rex and lesser known species like microraptor. Book your tickets today.