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

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

3. 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

4. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

10. - vertebrates
radiation of stem tetrapods!!

11. - vertebrates
radiation of stem tetrapods!!

12. - vertebrates
radiation of stem tetrapods!!
"Anthracosaurs"

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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.

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

17. - vertebrates
radiation of stem tetrapods!!

18. 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

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

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

21. I. The Precambrian
- Vendian
II. Paleozoic
A. Cambrian ( mya)
B. Ordovician ( mya)
C. Silurian ( mya)
D. Devonian ( mya)
E. Carboniferous ( mya)
F. Permian ( mya)

22. 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.

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

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

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

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

27. Dicynodonts come to numerical dominance in the late Permian
abundant herbivores

28. and the first Cynodonts appear

29. F. Permian ( mya)
large herbivorous anapsids were also present

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

31. F. Permian ( mya)
- Plants!!

32. F. Permian ( 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).

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

34. F. Permian ( 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)

35. F. Permian ( mya)

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

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

38. III. Mesozoic Era
A. Triassic Period ( mya)

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

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

41. III. Mesozoic Era
A. Triassic Period ( 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.

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

43. Triassic survivors
Pelycosaurs
Dicynodonts
Gorgonopsids
Therapsids
Cynodonts
Mammals

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

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

46. - 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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

54. - 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

55. - 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.

56. - the first mammaliforms... Morganucodontids

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

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

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

60. - Marine Reptiles:
and marine crocodylians....

61. - Herbivores:
Ornithichian Stegosaurs

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

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

64. - 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

65. - Carnivores:
- Ceratosaurs
Ceratosaurus

66. - Carnivores:
- Carnosaurs
Allosaurus

67. - Carnivores:
- Avialae
Archaeopteryx

68. The 'London' Specimen
The 'Berlin' Specimen

70. 10th specimen described in 2005 - shows intermediately rotated halux

71. 10th specimen described in shows intermediately rotated halux and hyperextended 2nd digit (like Deinonychosaurs - their sister clade)

72. 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

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

74. III. Mesozoic Era
B. Jurassic ( 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.

75. III. Mesozoic Era
B. Jurassic ( 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.

76. III. Mesozoic Era
B. Jurassic ( 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

77. III. Mesozoic Era
A. Triassic Period ( mya)
B. Jurassic ( mya)
C. Cretaceous ( mya)

78. C. Cretaceous ( 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

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

80. Archaefructus sinensis
Science 2002

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

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

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

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

86. Ornithischians:
Ankylosaurs

87. Ornithischians:
Ceratopsians

88. Ornithischians:
Iguanodonts

89. Ornithischians:
Hadrosaurs

90. Ornithischians:
Pachycephalosaurs

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

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

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

94. 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)

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

96. C. Cretaceous
Carnosaurs
- Tyrannosaurs:
- Albertosaurus

97. C. Cretaceous
Carnosaurs
- Tyrannosaurs:
- Gorgosaurus

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

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

100. C. Cretaceous
Carnosaurs
- Tyrannosaurs:
- Dilong paradoxicus
Feathered

101. C. Cretaceous
- Deinonychians
Deinonychus
Velaciraptor

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

103. - Protobirds

104. - Protobirds: Sinornithosaurus (Jurassic)

105. - Protobirds: Microraptor (Cretaceous)

106. - Protobirds: Unenlagia (Cretaceous)

107. - Protobirds: Caudipterxy (Cretaceous)

108. - Protobirds: Protarchaeopteryx (Cretaceous)

109. - Protobirds: Eoalulavis (Cretaceous)

110. - Pterosaurs:

111. - Pterosaurs:
Pteranodon - wingspan 7.5 m

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

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

114. - Mammals...

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

116. The K-T Boundary

117. 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...

118. The K-T Boundary

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

120. The K-T Boundary

121. The K-T Boundary

122. The K-T Boundary

123. The K-T Boundary