Public Release: 6-Feb-2018
Rainforest collapse 307 million years ago impacted the evolution of early land vertebrates
University of Birmingham
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have discovered that the mass extinction seen in plant species caused by the onset of a drier climate 307 million years ago led to extinctions of some groups of tetrapods, the first vertebrates to live on land, but allowed others to expand across the globe. This research is published today (7th February 2018) in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uob-rc3020618.phpThe Carboniferous and Permian periods (358 - 272 million years ago) were critical intervals in the evolution of life on land. During the Carboniferous Period North America and Europe lay in a single land mass at the equator which was covered by dense tropical rainforests. These rainforests flourished because of the warm humid climate, providing an ideal habitat for early tetrapods (vertebrates with four limbs), allowing them to diversify into a variety of species.
