Before T. rex and ankylosaurus ruled the Earth, a host of similar Triassic reptiles reigned.
Had a volcano-driven mass extinction not occurred at the end of the Triassic 201 million years ago, we likely would have had something closer to an Age of Crocodiles than the Age of Dinosaurs that actually followed. Ancient relatives of today’s swamp-dwelling reptiles were more diverse than dinosaurs and came in an even greater array of shapes and sizes, with dinosaurs largely on the ecological sidelines. When intense volcanic outpourings caused global climates to rapidly swing between hot and cold, however, fuzzy and warm-blooded dinosaurs were better able to cope. Crocodiles and other forms of ancient reptiles were hit much harder.
The Triassic began 252 million years ago as life was recovering from the worst mass extinction of all time, also caused by the aftereffects of incredible volcanic eruptions. Protomammals were decimated by the catastrophe, but reptiles of all sorts quickly evolved to open new niches in the water, on land and in the air. Dinosaurs were certainly among this saurian surfeit, but they weren’t necessarily trendsetters.
The earliest dinosaurs date back to around 243 million years ago, but the animals were pretty small and not especially diverse. Only after the end-Triassic mass extinction, in the Jurassic, did dinosaurs start to truly flourish—before that, the world saw a very different cast of ruling reptiles. Here’s a short list of Triassic animals that evolved forms and behaviors we now associate with dinosaurs, long before the “terrible lizards” would do the same.
Dinosaurs Were Evolutionary Copycats of These Long-Lost Look-Alikes | Science| Smithsonian Magazine
Had a volcano-driven mass extinction not occurred at the end of the Triassic 201 million years ago, we likely would have had something closer to an Age of Crocodiles than the Age of Dinosaurs that actually followed. Ancient relatives of today’s swamp-dwelling reptiles were more diverse than dinosaurs and came in an even greater array of shapes and sizes, with dinosaurs largely on the ecological sidelines. When intense volcanic outpourings caused global climates to rapidly swing between hot and cold, however, fuzzy and warm-blooded dinosaurs were better able to cope. Crocodiles and other forms of ancient reptiles were hit much harder.
The Triassic began 252 million years ago as life was recovering from the worst mass extinction of all time, also caused by the aftereffects of incredible volcanic eruptions. Protomammals were decimated by the catastrophe, but reptiles of all sorts quickly evolved to open new niches in the water, on land and in the air. Dinosaurs were certainly among this saurian surfeit, but they weren’t necessarily trendsetters.
The earliest dinosaurs date back to around 243 million years ago, but the animals were pretty small and not especially diverse. Only after the end-Triassic mass extinction, in the Jurassic, did dinosaurs start to truly flourish—before that, the world saw a very different cast of ruling reptiles. Here’s a short list of Triassic animals that evolved forms and behaviors we now associate with dinosaurs, long before the “terrible lizards” would do the same.
Dinosaurs Were Evolutionary Copycats of These Long-Lost Look-Alikes | Science| Smithsonian Magazine