Home > Diorama > Timeline > Dinosaur Timeline If you've visited the Diorama Timeline, you know that the Diorama represents five geologic periods and the roughly 300 million year history during which dinosaurs lived. Amazing as it is, our short trip through the Diorama can't tell the whole story. With our interactive dinosaur timeline, you can see which of the five periods each dinosaur lived in, then learn more about each period, and what the dinosaurs' lives were like. Carboniferous Period: The Carboniferous peiod occurred 386 to 290 million years ago, during the late Paleozoic Era. The word Carboniferous means "carbon-bearing." This period is marked by several conditions which were favorable for the production of coal. Additional resources: University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Carboniferous Period University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Carboniferous Period Life Permian Period: The Permian period occurred from 286 to 245 million years ago, at the end of the Paleozoic Era. It is marked by the largest mass extinction in the history of life on Earth, setting the stage for the age of dinosaurs. Additional resources: University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Permian Period Triassic Period: The Triassic period, roughly 248 million years ago, followed the mass extinction in the Permian period. It was a period of transition, in which the survivors of the extinction spread across the supercontinent Pangea and rediversified. Additional resources: University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Triassic Period Enchanted Learning: Triassic Period Jurassic Period: At the beginning of the Jurassic period, 206 to 144 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangea started to drift apart. Many species of dinosaurs, marine life, and plant life flourished during this period. It also was marked by the appearance of the first birds. Additional resources: University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Jurassic Period University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Jurassic Life Enchanted Learning: Jurassic Period Cretaceous Period: The end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago was marked by severe climatic changes and high volcanic activity. During this period, many dinosaurs and other organisms became extinct, setting the stage for life as it now exists on Earth. Additional resources: University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Cretaceous Period University of California, Berkley Museum of Paleontology: Cretaceous Life Enchanted Learning: Cretaceous Period Related Pages Diorama Storyline Read a detailed description of how the Diorama's 300 million years of history unfold. Diorama Timeline Take an interactive, graphic look at how the Diorama is divided among the 5 periods represented.