Drawing up the first
realistic picture of the fauna in the age of the dinosaurs, researchers from
the Royal Holloway University of London claimed that about 100 million years
ago, the polar-regions had a climate similar to Britain
Just before the extinction of dinosaurs the picture changed again, with magnolia-type trees springing into life brining blossom and scent to the world for the first time, the researchers reported in the journal Geology.
The findings have
implications for understanding the long-term effects of global warming, they
added. Research shows that weird monkey puzzle
forests covered most of the planet, especially in the steamy tropics.
"Just before the
dinosaurs became extinct, all that changed.
Flowering trees similar to magnolias took off, bringing color and scent
to the world for the first time."
Studying fossilized tree
rings, the team discovered that trees were growing twice as fast as their
modern ancestors, with the greatest effect closest to the poles.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
