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Triassic

Triassic

1 9.3
A period about 250 million years ago when early dinosaurs and sea reptiles appeared
  • noun
  • /traɪˈæsɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Triásico
  • From the early Triassic period onwards, Ichthyosaurs are the kings of the seas.
  • Triassic mass extinction
  • Permian-Triassic

Examples

  • Evidence of volcanic activity was significant during the Triassic period.

  • Early Triassic bipedal footprints matched to Cosesaurus were reported by the referenced authors.

    Blog text (19)
  • Try to find all the birds, insects, and mammals that live in an African baobab tree; make your own collection of minerals or skulls from a specimen cabinet; put together a life-size cast model of the 14-foot-long Triassic reptile Prestosuchus; and much more.

    Academic text (2010)
  • During the late Triassic period, dinosaurs began to dominate the land.

  • The Triassic era saw a diverse rise in marine reptiles.

Synonyms

Triassic period
vsTriassic
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A time 252 to 201 million years ago when early dinosaurs first appeared

is the same meaning but used as a shorter form

Compounds

Triassic period
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A time 252 to 201 million years ago when early dinosaurs first appeared

Surface Forms

Triassic singular
Triassics plural

Morphology

Triassic = tri (opaque) = tri + assic

The formation and meaning of 'Triassic' is not transparent to learners; it is a specialized geological term whose meaning cannot be derived from 'tri' alone.

Etymology

Triassic comes from the root tri- meaning 'three', the same 'tri' you see in triangle or tricycle. Geologists named the time after three main rock layers called the Trias, so Triassic refers to the period about 252 to 201 million years ago when early reptiles and the first dinosaurs appeared.