Early Cretaceous
Origin of the Angiosperms
The Early Cretaceous (145-101 Ma) occurs after the Tithonian of the Late Jurassic and before the Cenomanian of the Late Cretaceous
Geologic Age
145.0–101 Ma
Subdivisions:
Albian (113.0–100.5 Ma)
Aptain (125.0–113.0 Ma)
Barremian (129.4–125.0 Ma)
Hauterivian (132.9–129.4 Ma)
Valanginian (139.8–132.9 Ma)
Berriasian (145.0–139.8 Ma)
Eon / Era / Period / Epoch
What happened during this time?
Flora
Conifers dominate during the Early Cretaceous, but are displaced during the Late Cretaceous
Oldest known fossil of Pinus, P. yorkshirensis, appears around 131-129 million (Ryberg et al. 2012)
The Caytoniales, Pentoxylales, Corystosperms, and Bennettitales survive through Cretaceous but disappear from the landscape at the end of the period
Emergence of flowering plants during the Barremian Age (Dilcher 2012)
They appear in freshwater lake-related wetlands (130–125 Ma)
They radiate to under-story floodplains 125–100 Ma
Fauna
Dinosaurs continue to dominate
Early mammal varieties decline during Early Cretaceous (Grossnickle and Polly 2013)
Above: Appearance and diversification of angiosperms (green) in different ecosystems during the Cretaceous.
Additional resources
This plant fossil is really a baby turtle fossil (Phys.org 7Dec2023)
Palma-Castro et al. (2023) An Early Cretaceous Sphenophyllum or a hatchling turtle?
Early mammals decline as flowering radiate (Indiana University)