How the extinction of the dinosaurs shaped life on Earth

An impact that changed everything

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

Sixty-six million years ago, a massive asteroid impacted the Earth, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs, the giants who ruled the planet. This event set off a chain reaction of environmental changes.

A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

A study recently published in the journal ‘Paleontology’ provided evidence of the impact of the end of the dinosaurs on plant species and, indirectly, on us humans.

Forests became more dense

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

The disappearance of these giant animals, which consumed enormous quantities of vegetation, made the forests denser, which reduced the light on the ground and increased competition between plant species to capture light.

Fruit grew bigger

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

While seeds and fruits were small during the reign of the dinosaurs, their size increased following their extinction. Indeed, trees from large seeds would have had an advantage in growing faster and taller when light became scarce.

Favored animal reproduction

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

"In addition, the development of fleshy and appetizing fruits would have favored their consumption and their dispersion by animals, thus improving their reproduction," the study reads.

The development of the vine

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

In 2024, another study published in the journal ‘Nature Plants’ already suggested that the sudden absence of dinosaurs had stimulated the development of the vine.

Photo: Jose Alfonso Sierra / Unsplash

Natural factors

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

Indeed, more plants used vines to climb trees at that time, while the diversification of birds and mammals may have contributed to the expansion of grapes as these animals dispersed their seeds, the authors noted.

Photo: Flor Saurina / Unsplash

Tangible evidence

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

Before this study, the observations were only hypotheses. But the team of Christopher Doughty, professor of eco-informatics at the University of Northern Arizona, at the origin of the study of ‘Paleontology’, uncovered tangible proof.

Photo: Leo_Visions / Unsplash

A predictive model

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

The researcher's team said it developed a predictive model that incorporated recent findings on "the impact of large animals on forest structure, seedling growth, and animal size variations over time."

A simulation over several millennia

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

Using the data integrated into the model, the scientists launched a simulation over several millennia, and this reproduced the evolution observed by the experiment.

Photo: Nate DeWaele / Unsplash

The impact on evolution

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

At first glance, the darkening of the forest understory caused by the extinction of the dinosaurs may seem insignificant. But it may have directly led to the evolution of our frugivorous primate ancestors, the experts note.

Photo: Ben McCloskey / Unsplash

A shrinkage

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

However, a further shrinkage of fruits and seeds occurred later, about 35 million years ago.

New species

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

Indeed, the new land animals had in turn become large enough to have an influence on the forests, even if to a much lesser extent than dinosaurs.

Photo: Boudewijn Huysmans / Unsplash

A new turnaround

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

Finally, another reversal occurred much closer to home, about 50,000 years ago, when the Ice Age wiped out many prehistoric mammals, such as mammoths.

Cascading effects on evolution

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

"These results provide a striking example of how large dinosaurs and their extinction, not only shaped their contemporary environment, but also triggered cascading effects on ecosystems over millions of years," concludes Benjamin Wiebe, co-author of the study, in a press release.

Photo: Markus Spiske / Unsplash

Impact on the human diet

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

This evolution has also marked the human species, whose diet, behavior and physiognomy have been directly influenced by the evolution of fruits.

We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

An impact that changed everything, A study on the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction, Forests became more dense, Fruit grew bigger, Favored animal reproduction, The development of the vine, Natural factors, Tangible evidence, A predictive model, A simulation over several millennia, The impact on evolution, A shrinkage, New species, A new turnaround, Cascading effects on evolution, Impact on the human diet, We destroy what the dinosaurs ate

“Today, the light levels under the canopy now resemble those of forests during the time of the dinosaurs,” the scientists say, referring to the human footprint on natural ecosystems.

Photo: Jon Flobrant / Unsplash

Post Related