For millions of years, giant dinosaurs acted as ecosystem engineers, preventing the rise of fruit. When an asteroid wiped them out, forests grew dense and dark, forcing plants to evolve a new strategy for survival. They developed large seeds and fleshy coatings to attract animal allies, creating a fruity world that would eventually fuel the evolution of primates—and ultimately, us.
How Dinosaur Extinction Led to a World Full of Fruit
The cascade of changes that followed the extinction of the dinosaurs may have had one surprising effect: the evolution of a world teeming with fruit.
Related Posts
Atlantic salmon need saving, but current conservation measures could do more harm than good
Marek Rybar/Shutterstock Chris Gibbins, University of Nottingham and Chris Soulsby, University of Aberdeen The Cairngorms national park has…
Is That a Boy or a Girl T. Rex?
Fossil preparator Bob Harmon discovered the femur of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which led to the excavation of almost…
Cultivating for color: The hidden trade-offs between garden aesthetics and pollinator preferences
Colorful gardens can be pollinator-friendly with native flowering plants. Borchee/E+ via Getty Images Claire Therese Hemingway, University of…
Did Cosmic Rays Decide the Shape of Your DNA?
The very twist of your DNA might be a direct consequence of a fundamental asymmetry in the universe, delivered to the primordial Earth by high-energy cosmic rays.
