A Brief Overview

The Earth has been revolving around our lonely little sun for about 4 billion years.  We say 'about' because, well, we don't know for sure.  And when you're dealing with billions, losing a few million here and there is not a huge deal.  Geologists are scientists who study the earth and its component parts.  Astronomers are scientists who study the stars and the universe.  Astronomers tell us the universe (as it is now) has existed for about 13 billion years.  That looks like 13,000,000,000.  But the Earth hasn't been around that long.  It's only existed for around 4 billion.  (4,000,000,000.)  This blog is about the Mesozoic Era, and will contain information about dinosaurs and the other non-dinosaur animals that lived in this time.  Unless otherwise noted, the creature profiles will be hand-drawn by me.
Who am I?  I'm The Metal Dinosaur.  I worked for a miniature science museum in a mall for a number of years before it was sadly bought out of existence by a clothing store (Forever 21.)  Perhaps I harbor a bit of resentment for that particular store because the decision was made by people who cared more about money than educating and enriching the lives of children and adults in the area.  As much anger as I felt then, and the sadness I feel now, is a response to the senselessness and lack of foresight of changing people's lives because of money in an economic downturn and subsequent recession.  This is my way of continuing the mission of the museum, but hopefully on a larger scale.  I wish to bring dinosaurs to children who can't afford to go to museums, and to interested adults who never quite lose their fascination with the mighty beasts who lived so long before us.

A partial geological map of the world, courtesy of the Smithsonian.

Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian.  These eras in history took place before the dinosaurs evolved to rule the world.  Some of the strangest and coolest animals lived during these times.  Centipedes six feet long.  Underwater scorpions without stingers.  Dragonflies as big as birds, and the completely awesome Dimetrodon lived before the dinosaurs.  In the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene, we see mammals take over the Earth.  Saber-toothed cats, wooly mammoths, dire wolves, rodents the size of cars, flightless birds that ate miniature horses and ultimately humans all lived well after the dinosaurs died out.
It's not that these animals aren't interesting.  They are!  But the focus will be dinosaurs.  In the future, I may add a separate blog about the creatures who took the dinosaurs' place.
Sit back, relax, and let me take you on a journey back in time, before school buses and horses.  Before dogs and cats and rats.
Let me take you to the time of dinosaurs.