The Jurassic period was the second segment of the Mesozoic era. It occurred 199.6 to 145.5 million years ago, after the Triassic period and before the Cretaceous period. During the Jurassic, the supercontinent Pangea split. Laurentia, the northern half, made up what would eventually form North America and Eurasia. The creation of these basins opened for the Central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. The southern half, Gondwana, moved into an eastern segment that now forms Antarctica, Madagascar, India and Australia, and a western part that forms what is now Africa and South America. This rift, along with generally warmer global temperatures, allowed for the diversification and dominance of the reptiles known as dinosaurs. Along with dinosaurs, different types of life and rock formations emerged during the Jurassic period. This breakup of the mega continent of Pangea allowed for greater diversification of plant species, and as the continents continued to break up, plant life became even more diverse. As continents shifted and moved from one area of ​​the ocean to another, climates began to change dramatically, allowing species of plants and dinosaurs to begin adapting to fit their new ecosystems. All the water produced by the rift of Pangea has given the previously hot and dry climate a wetter and drippier subtropical climate. Arid deserts have taken on a greener appearance. Before the Mesozoic era, living things were limited to surviving only in the oceans. It was not until the Jurassic period that living things developed the ability to live on land rather than just the ocean. Around the beginning of the Jurassic, plant life evolved from Bryophytes, the low-growing plants... middle of paper... ll. This group continued to be successful throughout the Jurassic period and had a wide geographic distribution. Other reptiles have evolved not only to live on land, but also to fly. The first known birds appeared during this period; Archaeoteryx was the first to be considered the intermediate between birds and predatory dinosaurs. There is debate as to whether this ancient bird could actually fly or simply glide from tree to tree. Carnosaurus, meaning "flesh eater," is another group of dinosaurs that ruled during the Jurassic Period. With such large herbivorous prey, the relatedness of these large predators makes sense of why they were so common. An Allosaurus was one of the most common carnosaurs in North America. After finding numerous intact skeletons in the fossil beds, it was reported that Allosaurus was superficially similar to the later evolving Tyrannosaurus rex.