The Cretaceous is a geologic period spanning approximately 145 to 66 million years ago, forming the final period of the Mesozoic Era. It is characterized by high eustatic sea levels, extensive epicontinental seas, and a warm greenhouse climate with minimal polar ice. Tectonically, it saw continued breakup of Pangea, expansion of the Atlantic Ocean, and major episodes of oceanic plateau and large igneous province formation. Biologically, it is marked by diversification of angiosperms, complex marine plankton communities, and dominant non-avian dinosaurs, and it terminates at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, defined globally by a mass extinction horizon and an iridium-rich layer.
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus.
Paleontology & Fossils
May 17, 2026
0
32
A great Tyrannosaurus rex strides through the conifer trees of her territory, sniffing the air. She picks up the scent from the carcass of a dead horned dinosaur, Triceratops, that she was feeding on yesterday. She walks ...
Paleontology & Fossils
May 11, 2026
0
118
A study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes a new species of dinosaur discovered during construction of a road-rail terminal in the city of Davinópolis in the state of Maranhão, in the Northeast ...
Evolution
May 6, 2026
0
652
Mammals and dinosaurs coexisted on Earth until a catastrophic event 66 million years ago killed 75% of life on the planet. Despite the devastation, some animals survived, including rodent-like mammals in the Cimolodon genus. ...
Evolution
Apr 25, 2026
0
227
In the heart of the Middle Atlas Mountains in central Morocco, a global team of paleontologists and geologists has discovered new remains of a very unusual dinosaur. It belonged to the group called ankylosaurs, plant eaters ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Apr 19, 2026
0
54
An international team of researchers, led by paleontologists of the University of Liège, has investigated the biting capabilities of extinct predatory marine reptiles, revealing how these formidable predators could coexist ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Apr 3, 2026
0
33
The mass extinction at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods was catastrophic, wiping out much of life on Earth. Vertebrate groups that dominated at the time, such as dinosaurs and many large marine reptiles, ...
Evolution
Mar 25, 2026
0
121
A major gap in South Korea's prehistoric record has been filled with the discovery of Onggwanoolithus aphaedoensis, the first known bird-type dinosaur eggs from the Cretaceous period of South Korea. The find, which is detailed ...
The oceans of the Cretaceous of North America teemed with life. Gigantic fish and enormous marine reptiles hunted the Western Interior Sea. A unique new fossil demonstrates rare evidence of direct conflict between these apex ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 13, 2026
0
539
Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most recognizable names of the dinosaur world, a hulking and terrifying meat-eating behemoth. While fossil remains have been extensively studied, not much is known about its family history ...
