Petrified Forest National Park
Cool place! The petrified logs (conifers and ginkgos) date to the Triassic period, around 208-228 million years ago. The Triassic was before the Jurassic, and the kings of the Triassic weren't dinosaurs. They were assorted reptiles, including phytosaurs and archosaurs. Some were basically long-legged, death-dealing crocodiles that ran along on two legs. Our mammalian ancestors were little guys, wisely hiding from the teeth.
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| Smilosuchus gregorii, a phytosaur |
