ECOLOGY

The Jurassic period was similar to the Triassic. Like any large landmass, it was wet around the edges and dry in the middle. It was also hot, much hotter than today. The combination of a planet that was hotter in the interior, and had more volcanic activity, and an atmosphere that trapped more hot gasses contributed to an overall warmer climate. The great interior of the continents was most likely a vast dry, hot desert with very little life compared to the coastal regions. There was much more volcanic activity than we see now. There were no grasses of any kind and flowering plants had not yet appeared. The dryer environment meant that there were very few swamps or marshes. There were a number of salt lakes that could not support much life. How did such an inhospitable environment give rise to such huge creatures? Some scientists believe that the plants grew faster than they do now, and were better able to replenish the parts that the big dinosaurs ate.