Final answer:
Many dinosaurs shown in the Jurassic Park movies lived during different periods, with the Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor actually from the Cretaceous Period. The habitats of these dinosaurs varied and the notion that T. rexes could run at high speeds has been debunked by more recent studies. The dinosaurs' extinction, caused by an asteroid impact 65 million years ago, marked the end of their era, not the Jurassic period.
Step-by-step explanation:
While the Jurassic Park movie franchise shows dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus rex living during the Jurassic period, in reality, many of these dinosaurs actually lived during different geologic time periods. For instance, the Tyrannosaurus rex, a formidable predator depicted in the series, lived during the Cretaceous Period (145-65 million years ago), not the Jurassic. This period was when dinosaurs reached their peak in size and distribution. In particular, the T. rex evolved around 70.6 million years ago, which indicates that we are closer in time to the T. rex than it is to its earliest dinosaur ancestors, which evolved about 230 million years ago.
The Jurassic Period (200-145 million years ago) was indeed a significant time for dinosaur evolution, marking the 'golden age of dinosaurs', but not all dinosaurs showcased in the movie lived during this time. For example, dinosaurs like Velociraptor also lived during the Cretaceous. The habitats of these dinosaurs varied, ranging from subtropical to temperate environments, which sometimes differed from the tropical climate depicted in the movies. Furthermore, studies have suggested that the T. rex was not capable of the high-speed chases shown in the film; it likely had a much slower movement akin to a brisk walk.
Additionally, the end of the dinosaur era, marked by the extinction event approximately 65 million years ago, coincided with the impact of a large asteroid, the effects of which brought an end to these magnificent creatures, apart from the birds that evolved from them. The movie’s depiction of dinosaurs being genetically recreated from DNA preserved in amber is a work of fiction, illustrating another instance where Hollywood takes creative liberties.