Dinosaurs achieved dominance over Earth not solely due to their sheer might and resilience. The expansion they experienced was facilitated by the Arctic cold, periods of volcanic winters, and the massive supercontinent known as Pangaea. This perspective is put forward by experts from an international research team overseen by American paleontologist Paul Olsen of Columbia University in New York.
The specialists posit that during the Late Triassic, spanning 252 to 201 million years ago, nearly all of the Earth’s landmasses constituted the single supercontinent Pangaea. Although some scholars believe certain landmasses existed separately. Specifically, it was historically assumed that a portion of China represented an independent continental block.
However, recent geological evidence derived from northwestern China suggests the contrary: both ancient continental sections were integrated into the broader Pangaean system, connecting with the Siberian Platform.
Glaciers may have formed in this region. Olsen maintains that even amidst the warm Mesozoic climate, areas of land near the North Pole experienced snowy winters. Since ice possesses a significant reflective property, this contributed to cooler temperatures.
Volcanic winters and abrupt cooling events triggered widespread extinctions among animals unable to adjust to the shifting conditions. Conversely, dinosaurs residing in subpolar regions across what is now Siberia and China were already accustomed to a climate characterized by sharp contrasts, making adaptation easier for them. A portion of these colossal reptiles even developed feathers as a means of better heat retention.
Pangaea refers to the supercontinent that existed during the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic eras, approximately 335 to 175 million years ago. It came into being through the collision of Gondwana and Laurasia—two other ancient continents. Gondwana comprised the territories of modern-day Australia, South America, India, Antarctica, and Africa; Laurasia encompassed Eurasia and North America.
Pangaea consisted of several major continental fragments fused together by mountain chains. Within this massive continent, continental to sharply continental climates prevailed.
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