Triassic
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| Triassic | |
|---|---|
| Name | Triassic |
| Time start | 251.902 |
| Time end | 201.36 |
| Chronology | Mesozoic |
| Preceding | Permian |
| Following | Jurassic |
Triassic The Triassic marks the first period of the Mesozoic Era, spanning about 50 million years between the Permian and the Jurassic. It witnessed recovery from the Permian–Triassic extinction event and set the stage for later developments seen in Cretaceous and Paleogene ecosystems; key research institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, London, and American Museum of Natural History have curated major collections from this time.
Overview and Definition
The Triassic was formally defined through stratigraphic work associated with early geologists such as Roderick Murchison and later refined by panels like the International Commission on Stratigraphy and committees at the Geological Society of America. Its base is stratigraphically tied to sections studied in regions including the Dolomites, Gondwana, and the Newark Basin, while its top is diachronous in places correlated with formations studied by teams from University of Chicago, Uppsala University, and the University of Vienna.
Geologic Setting and Subdivision
Stratigraphically the Triassic is divided into the Lower, Middle, and Upper series and into stages such as the Induan, Olenekian, Anisian, Ladinian, Carnian, Norian, and Rhaetian. Type sections and reference profiles come from localities in the Alps, Tethys Ocean margins, the Western Interior basins of North America, and basins of South Africa where researchers from University of Cape Town and the Council for Geoscience have contributed. Chronostratigraphic correlation uses techniques developed at institutions including University of Oxford and ETH Zurich.
Climate and Environmental Changes
Triassic climate shifted from harsh post-Permian–Triassic extinction event conditions through greenhouse phases and transient cooling episodes tied to events like the Carnian Pluvial Event, documented by teams from University of Bologna, Geological Survey of Canada, and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. Atmospheric and oceanic changes are inferred from isotopic work by groups at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. Carbon cycle perturbations linked to volcanism at large igneous provinces such as the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province influenced redox conditions studied by researchers at Stanford University and University of Melbourne.
Flora and Fauna
Early Mesozoic ecosystems hosted gymnosperms like Ginkgo biloba relatives, Cycadales, and early forms related to Conifers preserved in floras collected by expeditions from the Royal Society and universities including Harvard University and University of Toronto. Faunal assemblages included early archosaurs such as Euparkeria, primitive dinosauromorphs like Marasuchus, and early true dinosaurs including genera recovered by teams at Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales and University of São Paulo. Marine life featured ammonoids, bivalves, and temnospondyl amphibians documented by researchers at Natural History Museum, Vienna and Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Vertebrate faunas include Cynodontia relatives, early mammals from localities studied by Carnegie Institution for Science, and crocodylomorph precursors described in papers from University of Bristol.
Major Events and Extinctions
Post-extinction biotic recovery and turnover events include the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic extinction event and later crises such as declines at the end of the Carnian and the Rhaetian turnovers that presaged the Jurassic radiation; these patterns are areas of active study at Yale University, University College London, and University of California, Berkeley. Mass extinction drivers examined by multidisciplinary teams include volcanism linked to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, climate shifts investigated by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and sea-level change reconstructed by researchers at China University of Geosciences.
Tectonics and Paleogeography
During the Triassic most continental crust was assembled into the supercontinent Pangaea, with margins bordering the Tethys Ocean and rift systems that foreshadowed the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Plate reconstructions produced by groups at University of Texas at Austin, Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences, and NOAA document rifting, basin formation in the Newark Basin, and orogenic influence from events tied to the Variscan orogeny and later collisions influencing terrain in the Himalaya and Andes.
Paleontological Discoveries and Research History
Landmark discoveries include early dinosaur fossils from the Ischigualasto Formation and the Lagerstätten of the Solnhofen-like preservational contexts, with historic collectors such as Richard Owen and modern teams from Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Methodological advances from institutions including Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Edinburgh—such as biostratigraphy, radiometric dating, and computed tomography—have refined Triassic chronologies and paleoecological reconstructions. Ongoing field programs and collaborative networks involving the Paleontological Society, International Union of Geological Sciences, and numerous universities continue to expand knowledge of Triassic diversity, extinction dynamics, and environmental change.