
- Period Name: Triassic
- Era: Mesozosic
- Period Span: 50.6 million years
- Succeeded Period: Jurassic
- Preceded Period: Permian
- Example of Dinosaurs: Staurikosaurus and Postosuchus
15 Triassic Period Facts
- The Triassic Period is the first of the three geologic periods of the Mesozoic Era.
- The Triassic Period was the shortest period of the Mesozoic Era.
- The Triassic Period lasted roughly 50.6 million years.
- The Triassic Period occurred between 251.902 and 201.3 million years ago.
- The Triassic Period had three epochs, the Early Triassic, the Middle Triassic and the Late Triassic.
- The Early Triassic Period was roughly between 252 and 247 million years ago.
- The Middle Triassic Period was roughly between 247 and 237 million years ago.
- The Late Triassic Period was roughly between 237 and 201 million years ago.
- The Triassic Period saw the rise of the dinosaurs, and they would dominate the planet for the next 185 million years.
- The Triassic Period started after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. This was the largest mass extinction event in the history of the planet. More than 90% of all living life, both on land and in the sea, went extinct.
- The Triassic Period ended with the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event.
- During the Triassic Period virtually all the planet’s land mass was concentrated into one area. This massive concentration of land is called the supercontinent Pangaea.
- The climate throughout the Jurassic Period was hot and dry.
- Some of the dinosaurs that lived during the Triassic Period were the Herrerasaurus, Melanorosaurus, Plateosaurus, Staurikosaurus and the Thecodontosaurus.
- The term Triassic was coined by German geologist Friedrich von Alberti in 1843.
Dinosaurs Pictures from the Triassic Period

A photo of a staurikosaurus fossil, a dinosaur from the Late Triassic Period.Credit: Unknown

A photo of a plateosaurus fossil, a dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic Period.Credit: Unknown

A photo of a postosuchus fossil, a dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic Period.Credit: Donn Young
Additional Resources on the Triassic Period
- The Triassic Period: The Rise of the Dinosaurs – Learn about the rise of the dinosaurs during the Triassic period.
- Triassic Period Facts and Information – Discover more amazing facts about the Triassic period on the National Geographic website.
- Triassic – Wikipedia – Find more information about the Triassic period via the Wikipedia website.