[Explanation] At the end of the Triassic period, one of the five mass extinction events in geological history occurred, but dinosaurs avoided this disaster. Since then, they have quickly become the overlords of the earth, dominating the Jurassic and Cretaceous worlds.
why is that?
Recently, experts from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences found that the volcanic winter was the main cause of the mass extinction of terrestrial life at the end of the Triassic.
Combining the phylogenetic scaffolding method, scientists revealed for the first time that feathers with thermal insulation function and long adaptation to the polar cold climate were the main reasons why dinosaurs escaped the volcanic winter at the end of the Triassic and quickly occupied the ecological theme of the Jurassic.
[Explanation] In recent years, Sha Jingeng, Fang Yanan, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Paul Olsen of Columbia University, USA, have collaborated on the continental Late Triassic to Early Jurassic strata of Haojiagou section, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China. After conducting high-resolution measurements and studies, the research team recalibrated the palaeolatitude of the Junggar Basin, arguing that it was located in the Arctic region of the Pangia continent from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic.
For the first time, the research team discovered ice cutting deposits in the deep lacustrine mudstone from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic in the Junggar Basin.
[Concurrent] Sha Jingeng, researcher at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
We found debris of lake ice rafts from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang. This finding proves that the climate was very cold at the end of the Triassic (late) and early Jurassic (polar).
[Explanation] For the first time, the research team discovered beautifully preserved dinosaur footprint fossils in the late Triassic to Early Jurassic lacustrine mudstones in the Junggar Basin, indicating that dinosaurs lived in the polar regions from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic and adapted to the polar regions Seasonally cold climate.
[Concurrent] Sha Jingeng, researcher at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
We have discovered the footprints of dinosaurs. From this aspect, it shows that the dinosaurs at that time were adapted to the cold environment. According to the entire evolution process (and) calculation, the early dinosaurs were born with feathers, and they had already adapted to the cold environment.
[Explanation] According to the phylogenetic scaffolding method, the research team inferred that dinosaurs were born with feathers, but these feathers were obviously not used for flying.
In addition, the feather structure of dinosaurs is similar to that of pterosaurs, and it can be inferred that the entire bird species was born with feathers.
The research team believes that the most likely use of these primitive feathers is for the insulation of dinosaurs and even birds as a whole.
[Concurrent] Sha Jingeng, researcher at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
In a large greenhouse environment, (aerosols released by super volcanic eruptions block sunlight and cause the atmosphere) to suddenly cool down, and a volcanic winter occurs, which leads to the extinction of (terrestrial) organisms.
Thanks to these feathered dinosaurs, they avoided disaster in high latitudes or polar regions, so it (feathered dinosaurs) survived.
When the climate once adapted (most animals and plants survived), it (dinosaur groups) spread (multiplied) globally, so after the Jurassic and Cretaceous, it was the world of dinosaurs.
[Explanation] The result was published online in the internationally renowned journal "Science Advances" on July 2.
Reporter Ge Yong reports from Nanjing, Jiangsu
Responsible editor: [Liu Xian]