The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. ^[2]

In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age. ^[3] In the past, Malm was also used to indicate the unit of geological time, but this usage is now discouraged to make a clear distinction between lithostratigraphic and geochronologic/chronostratigraphic units.

Subdivisions

The Late Jurassic is divided into three ages, which correspond with the three (faunal) stages of Upper Jurassic rock:

Paleogeography

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During the Late Jurassic Epoch, Pangaea broke up into two supercontinents, Laurasia to the north, and Gondwana to the south. The result of this break-up was the spawning of the Atlantic Ocean. However, at this time, the Atlantic Ocean was relatively narrow.

Life forms of the epoch

This epoch is well known for many famous types of dinosaurs, such as the sauropods, the theropods, the thyreophorans, and the ornithopods. Other animals, such as some crocodylomorphs and the first birds, appeared in the Jurassic. Listed here are only a few of the many Jurassic animals:

• Camarasaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
• Apatosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
• Brachiosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
• Brontosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
• Diplodocus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
• Barosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from North America
• Europasaurus, a small herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from Europe
• Brachytrachelopan, a small herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from South America
• Supersaurus, possibly the largest North American sauropod of them all
• Dicraeosaurus, a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from Africa
• Giraffatitan, another large sauropod from Africa (usually recognized as a species of Brachiosaurus)
• Allosaurus, possibly the biggest Jurassic predator, the most common Late Jurassic theropod of North America, also present in Europe
• Epanterias, one of the largest Jurassic carnivores from North America (possibly just Allosaurus)
• Saurophaganax, one of the largest Jurassic carnivores from North America (possibly a synonym of Allosaurus)
• Yangchuanosaurus, a large theropod from Asia
• Torvosaurus, a large Jurassic carnivore, from North America and Europe
• Ceratosaurus, a medium-sized Jurassic carnivore from North America, Europe, and possibly Africa
• Elaphrosaurus, a medium-sized Jurassic carnivore from Africa
• Ornitholestes, a small theropod from North America
• Compsognathus, a small theropod from Europe
• Tuojiangosaurus, a thyreophoran from Asia
• Stegosaurus, a thyreophoran from North America and Europe
• Kentrosaurus, a thyreophoran from Africa
• Gargoyleosaurus, a thyreophoran from North America
• Dryosaurus, a North American ornithopod
• Camptosaurus, an ornithopod from North America and possibly Europe
• Yinlong, an early marginocephalian dinosaur from Asia
• Chaoyangsaurus, an early marginocephalian dinosaur from Asia
• Juramaia, a basal mammal from Asia
• Archaeopteryx, the first known bird, from Europe
• Rhamphorhynchus a long-tailed pterosaur from Europe
• Pterodactylus, a short-tailed pterosaur from Europe
• Anurognathus, one of the smallest pterosaurs from Europe
• Ophthalmosaurus, a very common sea-going ichthyosaur from Europe and North America
• Liopleurodon, a medium-sized sea-going pliosaur from Europe
• Dakosaurus, a medium-sized sea-going crocodylomorph from Europe
• Perisphinctes, an ammonite

References

• Owen, Donald E. (March 1987). "Commentary: Usage of Stratigraphic Terminology in Papers, Illustrations, and Talks". Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. 57 (2): 363–372.
• Kazlev, M. Alan (2002-06-28). "Late Jurassic — The Malm Epoch: The Acme of the Dinosaurs". Palæos. Retrieved 2014-10-23.