Day 79: Life as we know it.

So! Let us begin with the Triassic Period: the average temperatures are supposed to have been almost 3 times as much as the present day. No ice anywhere, with hot and dry climates at eh equator. And the monsoons are supposed to have been violent. I think it’s safe to say that if humans were to time-travel to this period, we would not survive even just the heat.

Apparently, the diversification and plethora of flora shot up during this period but wasn’t nearly as plush as the later Jurassic or Cretacious periods.

The Jurassic period seems to be a bit more inviting with steady rainfalls, although still a hot, humid climate overall. And thus, of course, this was the period in which there was more of an explosion of plants and animals. Especially, with the breaking up of the supercontinent Pangaea which gave way to a more diversified environment than before - rivers flowing into oceans - more niche evolution.

Anyway, apart from all this, turns out the dinosaurs grew bigger in size, with new - and evolved - species. Some dinosaurs seem to have taken flight instead. And it’s possible the first ancient birds may have first appeared as well. But it’s believed the first birds didn’t come along until the Cretaceous period. A period which continued to witness the breaking up of Pangaea, turns out Indian was briefly even an island.

This period too seems to have been as hot as the Jurassic, except with occasional periods of cooling. But the sea levels were rising and there seemed to be more water everywhere. A climate definitely with a stark difference from what came 65mya.

The asteroid took out the vegetation which took out the herbivores which took out the carnivores. Things were made worse, also because India hit into Asia triggering a LOT of volcanic activity. With all the extinction of those herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs, came the opportunity for the tiny cowering mammals to evolve.