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Secrets of the Cretaceous: Why was life so diverse during this period?
The Cretaceous, a vast and life-filled geological period, lasted from about 143.1 million years ago to 66 million years ago. This period is the last and longest period of the Mesozoic Era. During this 77 million-year evolutionary process, all kinds of amazing creatures lived on the earth, from giant dinosaurs to strange marine reptiles. The emergence of each creature has profoundly affected the ecosystem. So, what factors drove the diversity of life in the Cretaceous?
Climate and Environmental Change
The climate in the Cretaceous was relatively warm, resulting in high sea levels and the formation of many shallow inland lakes. These inland seas became the habitat of various species of life.
The warm climate during this period promoted the prosperity of the ocean. Many marine reptiles, shellless organisms and cephalopods such as ammonites grew prosperously in shallow seas. At the same time, the Cretaceous forests extended to both poles and contained a variety of plants, bringing the diversity of the ecosystem to a new peak. Compared with the previous period, climate changes and sea level rise during this period created conditions for rapid biological evolution.
Catalyst for Biodiversity
Toward the end of the Cretaceous, with the rapid diversification of flowering plants, these plants eventually became the dominant flora on Earth and also facilitated the proliferation of other species such as insects.
Many of the major modern taxa can trace their origins to the Cretaceous, including early relatives of placental animals and marsupials.
The emergence of new species during this period not only changed the ecology at that time, but also paved the way for subsequent biological evolution. At the same time, significant species extinction events, such as the Cretaceous-Paleocene extinction event, and some related earth ecological changes, laid the foundation for subsequent biodiversity.
Marine ecology of the Cretaceous
During this period, marine life such as cephalopods and reptiles occupied the top of the ocean, forming a unique ecosystem.
The marine environment of the Cretaceous period was extremely rich, with various marine creatures such as ancient sharks, turtles and dinosaur relatives such as Mosassaurus. These species played an important role in the food chain. Even coral reefs and seabed life thrive due to high sea levels, becoming key parts of diverse ecosystems.
Transformation of life cycle
The Cretaceous creatures not only changed in appearance, but also evolved in their lifestyles.
While many plants rely on photosynthesis, some organisms found new survival strategies when they experienced the end-Cretaceous extinction event.
For example, some small scavengers and insects can survive the collapse of the food chain, which encourages the subsequent ecosystem to flourish again.
The Cretaceous extinction event
At the end of the Cretaceous period, a huge asteroid hit the Earth. This event is considered to be the main cause of the mass extinction. Many of the plant and animal species that were prevalent at the time, especially the non-avian dinosaurs, disappeared.
Although the impact of extinction events is deeply shocking, the process also provides space for new species to emerge.
After a large number of organisms disappeared, the ecosystem quickly rebuilt, and new groups of organisms began to fill these ecological gaps, laying the foundation for later modern organisms.
Continuous exploration and understanding
Research on the Cretaceous has never stopped. Scientists use paleontological data and geological evidence to continue to explore the fundamental causes of biological diversity during this period. Every new archaeological discovery may reveal more secrets of past eras.
Understanding the ecosystem changes in the Cretaceous is crucial for current biodiversity protection and future environmental adjustment.
Future research may reveal more mysteries about how organisms adapt to survive. Are you also curious about what kind of environmental changes will the organisms on earth today evolve on a large scale again?
