E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts Arthropleura -largest terrestrial arthropod - 2m

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - radiation of insects - evolution of flight Meganeura monyi - largest insect ever wingspan of 70 cm

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants The early Carboniferous saw a reduction in the Devonian forests and a dominance of small plants - lycopods and their kin. Lepidodendron Psaronius - fern Lebachia - progymnosperm Cordaites - progymnosperm

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants The early Carboniferous saw a reduction in the Devonian forests and a dominance of small plants - lycopods and their kin. As the period proceeds, the giant lycopsid swamp forests evolve across the tropical continent of Euramerica. There was lots of photosynthesis, but this was not balanced by decomposition (because much of the biomass was preserved in sediment, not broken down by decay). So, oxygen production by photosynthesis exceeded oxygen consumption by decomposition... and oxygen levels were probably very high...this may have allowed the enormous size of invertebrates.

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants Coal deposits in shallow tropical swamps

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants - vertebrates sharks replace placoderms as dominant in oceans;

The golden age of sharks - 45 Families (currently 21)

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants - vertebrates sharks replace placoderms as dominant in oceans; ray finned fishes dominate in fresh water

- vertebrates radiation of stem tetrapods!!

- vertebrates radiation of stem tetrapods!!

- vertebrates radiation of stem tetrapods!! "Anthracosaurs"

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants - vertebrates sharks replace placoderms as dominant in oceans; ray finned fishes dominate in fresh water stem tetrapods radiate! "crown" tetrapods Seymouriamorpha Temnospondyls Ichthyostegans

E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) - inverts - plants - vertebrates stem tetrapods Temnospondyls a very diverse radiation of tetrapods, from alligator-like salamanders to large, scaled, frog-like creatures. Cowens places these ancestral to Amphibia only, but recent analyses put them as a sister clade to all crown tetrapods.

Temnospondyls a very diverse radiation of tetrapods, from alligator-like salamanders to large, scaled, frog-like creatures. Cowens places these ancestral to Amphibia only, but recent analyses put them as a sister clade to all crown tetrapods.

Seymouriamorpha Radiate in Permian but earliest fossils from the Carboniferous... larvae have external gills, which pulls them out of the amniota...

- vertebrates radiation of stem tetrapods!!

The Amniote Divide The amniotic egg was a big advance - amnion protects the embryo - yolk sac provides nourishment - allantoic sac holds waste produced by embryo Resist desiccation Provision embryo allows for colonization of dry habitats

Primitive Amniotes Hylonomus lyelli – an early reptile Carboniferous of Nova Scotia

E. Carboniferous - The Amniote Radiations SYNAPSID Anapsid ancestor Hylonomus Casineria ANAPSID (turtles?) DIAPSID

I. The Precambrian - Vendian II. Paleozoic A. Cambrian (544-490 mya) B. Ordovician (490-443 mya) C. Silurian (443-417 mya) D. Devonian (417-354 mya) E. Carboniferous (359-300 mya) F. Permian (300-251 mya)

Pangaea forms The fusion of land masses reduced the amount of humid coastline and increased the extent of dry inland areas. This favored the amniote radiations over "amphibian" clades.

- The Amniote Radiations Diversify SYNAPSID Anapsid ancestor Hylonomus ANAPSID (turtles) DIAPSID

F. Permian (300-251 mya) Synapsids dominate through the early Permian Pelycosaurs Dicynodonts Gorgonopsids Therapsids Cynodonts Mammals

Pelycosaurs dominate early include the great sail-finned animals like Dimetrodon

Early Therapsids, like Gorgonopsids, dominate in the mid-late Permian Moschops Dinocephalians

Dicynodonts come to numerical dominance in the late Permian abundant herbivores

and the first Cynodonts appear

F. Permian (300-251 mya) large herbivorous anapsids were also present

F. Permian (300-251 mya) Diapsids were small and lizard-like; the Synapsids ruled terrestrial communities

F. Permian (300-251 mya) - Plants!!

F. Permian (300-251 mya) - Plants!! - the dry climate reduced the great Carboniferous swamp forests; lycopods shrink... - Ferns, and gymnosperms ("seed ferns", Ginkos, Cycads, and Conifers) gain prominence... - In particular Glossopteris - a seed fern - that produces seeds on its leaves like sori of ferns... The evolution of gymnosperms introduced two important adaptive features: - pollen (male gametophyte) - no more swimming sperm; reduced reliance on open water habitats - seed - protective seed coat reduced desiccation of embryo, and nutritious endosperm provisioned the embryo with energy. (Like the amniote egg).

F. Permian (300-251 mya) The great Permian extinction!!!! A huge mantle plume rises towards the surface...

F. Permian (300-251 mya) The great Permian extinction!!!! A huge mantle plume rises towards the surface... resulting in a great bubble of flowing lava... the Siberian flats (200,000 mi2)

F. Permian (300-251 mya)

F. Permian (300-251 mya) - results: 90-95% of marine species go extinct... trilobites placoderms

F. Permian (300-251 mya) - results: 90-95% of marine species go extinct... trilobites placoderms 70% of all land families pelycosaurs

III. Mesozoic Era A. Triassic Period (250 - 205 mya)

III. Mesozoic Era A. Triassic Period (250 - 205 mya) - climate: Dry; low sea levels; one large supercontinent beginning to break up

III. Mesozoic Era A. Triassic Period (250 - 205 mya) - inverts: - marine communities - gastropods and molluscs begin to dominate in these initially depauperate faunas... the 'modern marine fauna', including modern reef-builders

III. Mesozoic Era A. Triassic Period (250 - 205 mya) - Plants: - recovery from the mass extinction is slow; lycopsids dominate early, but soil formation is very slow... - dry climate selects for seed plants with pollen; the Gymnosperms... Petrified Forest N. P.

III. Mesozoic Era A. Triassic Period (250 - 205 mya) - Verts: - Medium sized therapsids dominate early... like Lystrosaurus

Triassic survivors Pelycosaurs Dicynodonts Gorgonopsids Therapsids Cynodonts Mammals

- Medium sized therapsids dominate early... like Lystrosaurus - Temnospondyls resurgent (Mastodonosaurus - 6m)

- radiation of the diapsids, but only Ichthyosaurs abundant early Archosaurs: Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, Crocodilians, Birds Lepidosaurs: Lizards, Snakes, Sphenodonts, Plesiosaurs) Diapsida Ichthyosaurs Younginiformes

- the opening of the shallow Tethys Sea between Laurasia and Gondwanaland created a very productive marine environment, which was exploited by a diverse group of evolving marine reptiles:

Archeosaurs: Tanystropheus - marine reptiles: Ichthyosaurs Lepidosaurs: Nothosaurus Placodonts

- marine reptiles: Shonisaurus – 21 m largest reptile (Blue Whale = 33m, 110 ft) Lepidosaurs: Nothosaurus

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. crucrotarsi Crocodylomorphs (Ornithosuchans and Phytosaurs) Pterosaurs Ornithodira (Marasuchas) Dinosaurs

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. - Crocodylomorphs:

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. - In the late Triassic, the first Dinosaur radiations occur. Ornithichians Prosauropods Saurichians Sauropods Theropods

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. - In the late Triassic, the first Dinosaur radiations occur. Ornithischians Ornithichians Prosauropods Sauropods Theropods

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. - In the late Triassic, the first Dinosaur radiations occur. Saurischians Ornithichians Prosauropods Sauropods Theropods

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. - In the late Triassic, the first Dinosaur radiations occur. Oldest Dinosaurs are the Theropod-like Eoraptor

- As the Triassic proceeds, the Archosaurs displace the Therapsids. - In the late Triassic, the first Dinosaur radiations occur. The first radiation of large dinosaurs were the herbivorous Prosauropods By the late Triassic, all large herbivores were Sauropodomorphs.

- the first mammaliforms... Morganucodontids

III. Mesozoic Era B. Jurassic (200-146 mya) - Climate: A global greenhouse - lush tropical habitats and rich shallow seas lead to the period of maximum Dinosaur domination.

III. Mesozoic Era B. Jurassic (200-146 mya) - Marine Reptiles: Ichthyosaurs still present...

III. Mesozoic Era B. Jurassic (200-146 mya) - Marine Reptiles: but now joined by Plesiosaurs and Pliosaurs (both Lepidosaurs)

- Marine Reptiles: and marine crocodylians....

- Herbivores: Ornithichian Stegosaurs

- Herbivores: Sauropods - the first of the real giants Ultrasaurus (maybe a Brachiosaurus) stood 98 ft long, 140 tons

- Herbivores: Sauropods - the first of the real giants Diplodocus - 90 ft long 11 tons

- Carnivores: 1. three-toed foot 2. digits IV and V lost on hand 3. long arms 4. semilunate carpal 5. fused pelvis 6. large hole in lacrimal bone in skull 7. ?no unique derived characters? 8. giant, hook-like claw on digit II of pes 9. flight feathers

- Carnivores: - Ceratosaurs Ceratosaurus

- Carnivores: - Carnosaurs Allosaurus

- Carnivores: - Avialae Archaeopteryx

The 'London' Specimen - 1861 The 'Berlin' Specimen - 1877

10th specimen described in 2005 - shows intermediately rotated halux

10th specimen described in 2005 - shows intermediately rotated halux and hyperextended 2nd digit (like Deinonychosaurs - their sister clade)

Hand Morphology A. Herrerasaurus- five digits are present, Digit V shaded yellow and hidden on other side of hand. B. Coelophysis. Note that digit V is gone. C. Deinonychus. Note loss of both digits V and IV D. Archaeopteryx. Note very close correspondence in proportions and relative lengths of bones to Deinonychus. E. Hoatzin embryo. Number of bones reduced in digit III. F. Hoatzin adult. Most of the bones of the hand fused

Another Set of Examples Ornitholestes (theropod dinosaur) Archaeopteryx Archaeopteryx Sinornis (a Cretaceous bird) Modern chicken Chicken

III. Mesozoic Era B. Jurassic (200-146 mya) - Pterosaurs They were present in the Triassic, but reached their greatest diversity in the Jurassic, with over 80 species recorded. However, they would attain their greatest size in the Cretaceous.

III. Mesozoic Era B. Jurassic (200-146 mya) - Pterosaurs They were present in the Triassic, but reached their greatest diversity in the Jurassic, with over 80 species recorded. However, they would attain their greatest size in the Cretaceous.

III. Mesozoic Era B. Jurassic (200-146 mya) - Mammals: Docodonts.... a group of beaver-like animals... the most impressive fossil of the group was found in Feb 2006 - oldest animal with fur - demonstrates that mammals were radiating into a variety of habitats

III. Mesozoic Era A. Triassic Period (250 - 205 mya) B. Jurassic (205 - 146 mya) C. Cretaceous (145 - 65 mya)

C. Cretaceous (146 - 65 mya) - the warming trend of the Jurassic continues, and results in very high sea levels and the expanse of shallow seas over significant portions of continents

- Plants: Evolution of Angiosperms Initially in low abundance Come to dominate by end of Cretaceous Gymnosperms

Archaefructus sinensis Science 2002

C. Cretaceous (146 - 65 mya) - Plants: Evolution of Angiosperms Initially in low abundance Come to dominate by end of Cretaceous Gymnosperms

C. Cretaceous (146 - 65 mya) - Plants: Evolution of Angiosperms Initially in low abundance Come to dominate by end of Cretaceous Gymnosperms

C. Cretaceous (146 - 65 mya) - Inverts: radiation of pollinators radiation of pollinators and herbivores ground beetles do not

C. Cretaceous (146 - 65 mya) - Inverts: - Verts: Ornithischians: Stegosaurs give way to a variety of new Ornithischian groups:

Ornithischians: Ankylosaurs

Ornithischians: Ceratopsians

Ornithischians: Iguanodonts

Ornithischians: Hadrosaurs

Ornithischians: Pachycephalosaurs

C. Cretaceous (146 - 65 mya) - Inverts: - Verts: Ornithischians: Saurischians - Sauropods The Titanosaurs (and they were still big)

The Titanosaurs Andesaurus 40m (?) 80 tons (?) incomplete skeleton

The Titanosaurs Argentinasaurus Largest one known with confidence, but there are bigger single bones.... 35m 80-100 tons incomplete skeleton but a hip girdle, vertebrae, and tibia

C. Cretaceous - Theropods: carnivores get big!! Carnosaurs - Giant Allosaur cousins like: Giganotosaurus Longer than the largest Tyrannosaurus rex by 2m 40-45 ft... from Argentina (1995)

C. Cretaceous Carnosaurs - Giant Allosaur cousins like: Carcharodontosaurus 40 ft - slightly smaller than T. rex from Niger (1927)

C. Cretaceous Carnosaurs - Tyrannosaurs: - Albertosaurus

C. Cretaceous Carnosaurs - Tyrannosaurs: - Gorgosaurus

C. Cretaceous Carnosaurs - Tyrannosaurs: - Tyrannosaurus (3 sp.)

C. Cretaceous Carnosaurs - Tyrannosaurs: - Tyrannosaurus (3 sp.)

C. Cretaceous Carnosaurs - Tyrannosaurs: - Dilong paradoxicus Feathered

C. Cretaceous - Deinonychians Deinonychus Velaciraptor

C. Cretaceous - non-bird feathered dinosaurs: Sinosauropteryx prima (1996) first non-bird dinosaur with feathers... a Cretaceous contemporary of birds

- Protobirds

- Protobirds: Sinornithosaurus (Jurassic)

- Protobirds: Microraptor (Cretaceous)

- Protobirds: Unenlagia (Cretaceous)

- Protobirds: Caudipterxy (Cretaceous)

- Protobirds: Protarchaeopteryx (Cretaceous)

- Protobirds: Eoalulavis (Cretaceous)

- Pterosaurs:

- Pterosaurs: Pteranodon - wingspan 7.5 m

- Pterosaurs: Quetzalcoatlus - largest ptersaur; 40 ft wingspan....

- Quetzalcoatlus - largest flying animal Quetzalcoatlus - largest ptersaur; 40 ft wingspan....

- Mammals...

- Mammals... - Multituberculates Dominate in Cretaceous - over 200 species

The K-T Boundary

hmm... a new star in the constellation of Orion... THAT'S weird... The K-T Boundary hmm... a new star in the constellation of Orion... THAT'S weird...

The K-T Boundary

It's the Ceratopsians... they're attacking...!!! The K-T Boundary WHAT THE HELL!!! It's the Ceratopsians... they're attacking...!!!

The K-T Boundary

The K-T Boundary

The K-T Boundary

The K-T Boundary