Mesozoic Earth - Crichtonsaurus & frogs

Location Asia 95 million years ago Mean atmospheric O₂ 150% of modern level Mean atmospheric CO₂ 6x pre-industrial level Mean temperature 4°C above modern level		Geologic Time Scale Era: Mesozoic Period: Cretaceous Epoch: Late Age: Cenomanian

	Crichtonsaurus & frogs A ten-foot-long ankylosaurid ankylosaur dinosaur of the genus Crichtonsaurus crosses paths with a pair of amphibians from the order anura (AKA frogs) deep within a Cretaceous forest 95 million years ago. The heavily armored Crichtonsaurus was an herbivore and therefore unlikely to have any interest in frogs as food, while the carnivorous frogs are doubtless in search of smaller prey. The forest is populated with various ferns and the conifer-like Wollemi Pine (not a true conifer, rather an Araucariaceae more closely related to the Monkey Puzzle tree). Crichtonsaurus is named after the late American author Michael Crichton whose novels included the dinosaur thriller Jurassic Park.