ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ladinian

Ladinian is a special time period that happened long, long ago when the Earth was very different than it is today. It was a time when there were a lot of big, scary creatures like dinosaurs and giant sea reptiles swimming and walking around.

Scientists use this time period to talk about a particular part of the Earth's history, just like how you might use different crayons to color different parts of a picture. They call it the Ladinian because they found special rocks that were formed during this time period.

During the Ladinian, a lot of things happened that changed the Earth. There were big explosions of volcanoes that created new land, and the Earth's continents started to move around and separate from each other. This made it possible for different kinds of animals and plants to live in different parts of the world.

Even though the Ladinian happened a long time ago, scientists still study it to try and understand how the Earth has changed over time. They can learn about what kinds of creatures lived during that time by looking at fossils, which are like tiny clues left behind by these ancient animals. By studying the Ladinian, scientists can learn a lot about the history of our planet and how it has changed over millions of years!