''Mesozoic'' means "middle life", deriving from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] prefix ''meso-''/''μεσο-'' for "between" and ''zōon''/''ζῷον'' meaning "[[animal]]" or "living being".<ref name=OnlineEtDict>{{cite web|title=Mesozoic|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Mesozoic&allowed_in_frame=0|publisher=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]}}</ref> It is one of three [[Geologic time scale|geologic eras]] of the [[Phanerozoic]] [[Eon (geology)|Eon]], preceded by the [[Paleozoic]] ("ancient life") and succeeded by the [[Cenozoic]] ("new life"). The era is subdivided into three major periods: the [[Triassic]], [[Jurassic]], and [[Cretaceous]], which are further subdivided into a number of epochs and stages. |
''Mesozoic'' means "middle life", deriving from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] prefix ''meso-''/''μεσο-'' for "between" and ''zōon''/''ζῷον'' meaning "[[animal]]" or "living being".<ref name=OnlineEtDict>{{cite web|title=Mesozoic|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Mesozoic&allowed_in_frame=0|publisher=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]}}</ref> It is one of three [[Geologic time scale|geologic eras]] of the [[Phanerozoic]] [[Eon (geology)|Eon]], preceded by the [[Paleozoic]] ("ancient life") and succeeded by the [[Cenozoic]] ("new life"). The era is subdivided into three major periods: the [[Triassic]], [[Jurassic]], and [[Cretaceous]], which are further subdivided into a number of epochs and stages. |