The high concentration of carbon dioxide in the Late Triassic started a chain reaction: huge fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, raging wildfires during parts of the year but humid spells in others. Stable plant communities had a difficult time establishing themselves. It was a chaotic, unpredictable, unstable part of Pangea. Some animals could deal with that better than others. Dinosaurs seem to have been able to cope a little bit, but not able to truly thrive. The smaller meat-eating theropods were able to manage, but the larger, fast-growing plant-eaters, which required a
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