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Jurassic Period Timeline
(201 to 145 million years ago)The Jurassic Period was a geologic period that lasted from about 201 to 145 million years ago, forming the middle period of the Mesozoic Era. It is famous for its abundance of dinosaurs, including iconic species like Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus. During this time, the supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart, warm climates covered much of the Earth, and the first birds evolved from small theropod dinosaurs. More Less
Early Study of the Jurassic
Alexander von Humboldt tours the Jura Mountains
1795
During a tour of the region in 1795, German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt recognized carbonate deposits within the Jura Mountains as geologically distinct from the Triassic aged Muschelkalk of southern Germany, but he erroneously concluded that they were older.
Image source: Jurassic
Humboldt names the Jura-Kalkstein
1799
Following his recognition of the distinctive carbonate deposits of the Jura Mountains, Alexander von Humboldt named them Jura-Kalkstein ('Jura limestone') in 1799, providing an early label for what would later become known as the Jurassic System.
"Lias" used by Conybeare and Phillips
1822
The term "Lias" had previously been used for strata of equivalent age to the Black Jurassic in England by William Conybeare and William Phillips in 1822.
Brongniart publishes Tableau des terrains
1829
In 1829, the French naturalist Alexandre Brongniart published a book entitled Tableau des terrains qui composent l'écorce du globe, ou Essai sur la structure de la partie connue de le Terre [Description of the Terrains that Constitute the Crust of the Earth or Essay on the Structure of the Known Lands of the Earth].
Image source: Alexandre Brongniart
Leopold von Buch's three-fold division of the Jurassic
1839
The German geologist Leopold von Buch in 1839 established the three-fold division of the Jurassic, originally named from oldest to the youngest: the Black Jurassic, Brown Jurassic, and White Jurassic.
Stage Definitions
d'Orbigny divides the Jurassic into ten stages
1842 - 1852
The French palaeontologist Alcide d'Orbigny in papers between 1842 and 1852 divided the Jurassic into ten stages based on ammonite and other fossil assemblages in England and France, of which seven are still used, but none has retained its original definition.
Sinemurian Stage defined by d'Orbigny
1842
The Sinemurian Stage was first defined and introduced into scientific literature by Alcide d'Orbigny in 1842.
Image source: Sinemurian
Toarcian Stage named by d'Orbigny
1842
The Toarcian was named by Alcide d'Orbigny in 1842, with the original locality being Vrines quarry around 2 km northwest of Thouars.
Image source: Toarcian
Kimmeridgian Stage named after the Kimmeridge Clay
1842
The stage was named by Alcide d'Orbigny in 1842 in reference to the Kimmeridge Clay.
Bathonian Stage introduced by d'Omalius d'Halloy
1843
The Bathonian is named after the city of Bath, England, introduced by Belgian geologist d'Omalius d'Halloy in 1843, after an incomplete section of oolitic limestones in several quarries in the region.
Key Facts
- The Jurassic Period spanned from approximately 201 to 145 million years ago and is divided into the Early, Middle, and Late Jurassic epochs.
- It takes its name from the Jura Mountains on the border of France and Switzerland, where limestone strata from this period were first studied.
- Dinosaurs flourished during the Jurassic, including giant herbivorous sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus, and predators like Allosaurus.
- The supercontinent Pangaea began breaking apart during the Jurassic, leading to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean and new coastlines.
- Archaeopteryx, one of the earliest known birds, evolved from feathered theropod dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic, marking a major step in evolution.
Source
This Jurassic Period timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.
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