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The Rise of Birds: How did flying dinosaurs evolve in the Late Cretaceous?
In the vast era of the Late Cretaceous period, the earth's biosphere experienced drastic changes and evolution, especially the development of flying dinosaurs.How will all this affect what we call birds today?
The Late Cretaceous (approximately 100.5–66 million years ago) was the last period of the Cretaceous period, which is known for its special ecological environment and diverse biological populations.The climate was warmer than today, and changes in the geographical environment also led to the evolution of diverse species.
Climate and geography of the Late Cretaceous
In the Late Cretaceous period, the Earth's climate was warmer than today and gradually showed a tendency to cool down.Tropical areas of the equator are increasingly restricted, while seasonal climatic conditions in the northern hemisphere are becoming more pronounced.This climate change provides a stage for the adaptation and evolution of flying dinosaurs and other organisms.
Due to plate movement, the two American continents gradually moved westward, causing the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean.North America is divided into east and west halves by the western inland sea, forming a geographical pattern between Aparachia and Laramidia.
Dinosaur diversity
The dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous show various ecological niches.Among non-abundant dinosaurs, ostrich, anthraciosaurus and ceratops have achieved significant success in North America and Asia.Meanwhile, giant predators such as Tyrannosaurus dominate North America and small primitive variants appeared in the Asian region.
In the southern hemisphere, the characteristics of the dinosaur group are different from those in the north, with predators dominated by Abelidosaurus and Carlkaru and plant-eating dinosaurs represented by Mamen Cresaurus.
The Origin and Evolution of Birds
Birds, as a special group of dinosaurs, showed significant diversity in the Late Cretaceous.Early birds such as Vegavis coexist with some exotic species such as Yungavolucris and Avisaurus.Although most early birds were smaller, some breeds such as Hesperornithes developed into relatively large and flightless forms that adapt to open marine life.
The evolution of these birds shows that the ability to fly depends not only on the development of wings, but also on the diversity of ecological niches and competitive relationships with other species.
Evolution of other organisms
At this period, marine life also underwent drastic changes.Giant marine reptiles such as Mosasaron and long-necked ancient whales have grown to an unprecedented scale.These predators are facing an increasingly diverse fish species and are engaged in fierce competition for survival.On land, although the evolution of mammals is complex, it still seems insignificant compared to dinosaurs.
The collapse of beeswax
With the end of the Late Cretaceous, the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction brought a devastating blow to all living things of this era.The disaster unearthed one of the most intense biological extinctions in Earth's history, and many dinosaur populations disappeared.Surviving birds and mammals ushered in a round of opportunities and quickly evolved easily in a new ecological environment.
This extinction incident undoubtedly changed the structure of the Earth's ecosystem, but the question of how birds find their place in it and then stand out from dinosaurs is still causing in-depth thinking from scientists and enthusiasts.How many unsolved mysteries are hidden in this history in the future?
