* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

Poposaurus gracilis

Blobrana · L

RE: Reptiles

Blobrana · L

Rainforest collapse kickstarted reptile evolution

The fragmentation of tropical rainforests 300 million years ago helped pave the way for the rise of the dinosaurs, a new study suggests.
In the Carboniferous period, North America and Europe lay at the equator and were covered by steamy rainforest.
Global warming is thought to have brought about the collapse of these tropical habitats, triggering an evolutionary burst among reptiles.
Read more

Blobrana · L

Reptiles stood upright after mass extinction
Reptiles changed their walking posture from sprawling to upright immediately after the end-Permian mass extinction, the biggest crisis in the history of life that occurred some 250 million years ago and wiped out 90% of all species.
In a detailed study of 460 fossil tracks of reptiles from below and above the extinction boundary, Tai Kubo and Professor Mike Benton from the University of Bristol have found that before the Permian extinction all the reptiles moved with their arms and legs held sideways in a sprawling posture, just like salamanders and lizards do today.
After the mass extinction, the medium-sized and large reptiles of the subsequent Triassic period, walked with their legs tucked underneath their bodies, just like modern mammals.

Source