paleontology

[protozoan]

What about this? I like to learn about this. I know theres evolution board but there cannot be discussed about life habit of for example megatherium, about ecosystem in which he lived, about other animals to which he competited. Or about Ediacara fauna and animals which formed this formation and etc.

[Dr.Stein]

I studied Palaentology and Microplaentology when I was a student. Even, I wanted to do a small research of this topic for my thesis. But then I decided to change for Animal Structure and Development because my mom did not allow me to go to the place where I would get my sample from (awww! how sad ) and also I prefer to stay in lab with microscope rather than stay outdoor But I always interested on this field until this moment, though I take my specialization in Animal Physiology (very laboratory! ). First thing made me interested on this fiels is "why dinosaurs extinct?" thingy. Let's discuss here

[protozoan]

Well, I think that dinosaurs as other big reptiles of mesosoic period had became a very specialized group of animals. I think they were all cold-blooded as every reptile do, (though it is believed dinosaurs could be warm-blooded but i dont, according to my theory ), and then there came climatic changes (could be even metheor too) which decided that cold-blooded trait was not good for life and warm-blooded animals - mammals and birds - took this chance and expanded their rows. Bigger reptiles held only in tropical regions as crocodiles or pythons, anaconds etc. The more orientation to north the smaller reptiles are.

[Betsy]

Back to the Edicara fauna, there's an interesting find in China, from BBC

Betsy

[Dr.Stein]

Yes I read about dino's extinction. There are some different theories about it afaik:
- Climatic change, including the melting polar ice
- Meteor radiation
- Deadly diseases
Which one do you think is the best explanation?

[James]

Will we ever know for sure?

[Dr.Stein]

Of course not, except there is a living witness hides somewhere at the moment and I could finally have a talk with that creature What I mean is that maybe there is a stronger theory to refuse another theories and something like that

[protozoan]

Dr. Stein wrote

Yes I read about dino's extinction. There are some different theories about it afaik:
- Climatic change, including the melting polar ice
- Meteor radiation
- Deadly diseases

Melting polar ice? - how could it influence the life of dinosaurs? It was freezing of polar poles, and changing of clime from tropical to altering of year seasons. Thats that climatic change theory.
Meteor colision theory is good too but the changes which it could started wouldnt influence at my opinion the big marine reptiles, they could happily live in marine and eat for example small fishes or another marine creatures which were not reptiles.

[Dr.Stein]

About the melting polar ice, I read that at the end of Jurrasic and the early of Triassic the climate changed so ice on the polars were melting to cause a big flood. This situation led to sink some lowlands, separating one big land into some new lands. Dinos that live in some lowlands also sank by this flood. Years ago, some palaentologists found couple unhatched dino's egg buried deep down in the fertile soil covered by ancient pterophytes that are easily found during Jurrasic. That's all I know...

[protozoan]

Yeah, but dinosaurs dissapeared at the end of cretaceous period. Thats a couple of milion years later.
Also i know that at the end of perm i think was another big dieing out of animals, but i know about it not much.

[Dr.Stein]

I am not sure about the ages, I mean Jura, Creta or something else. I have a problem on memorising years and numbers That's why I always failed in History class

[mith]

See "the day after tomorrow"(a movie), melting ice caps could also cause extreme cold, not just flooding.